Globe Telecom, in partnership with UNICEF Philippines, will donate P1 million to UNICEF’s Maternal and Newborn Health program as part of its My Rewards, My Globe campaign.

A corporate social responsibility partner of UNICEF since September 2011, Globe Telecom through UNICEF and partners, embarked on the rCHITS initiative, which stands for ‘Real-time Monitoring of Key Maternal and Child Health Indicators through the use of the Community Health Information Tracking System’. rCHITS is a computerization project aimed at achieving a more effective and efficient system of managing health information on children and women, particularly those living in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

“The funding support from Globe will go towards expanding the rCHITS program to reach more provinces in the coming year. Through this program, we are able to gather and consolidate real-time data on mother and child health indicators and help the local government make informed and well-planned decisions on health issues in their provinces,” said Tomoo Hozumi, Country Representative, UNICEF Philippines.

Originally conceived as an advocacy tool in support of community-based injury prevention, the project evolved into a computer-based system targeted primarily at serving community health centers. In 2011, rCHITS expanded through the collaboration of UNICEF, University of the Philippines National Telehealth Center (NThC) and Globe to develop a system specifically designed to monitor and obtain key maternal and child health indicators in selected municipalities towards achievement of Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, which is reduction of child mortality and improvement of maternal health.

“Accessibility—whether to improve education or health—is one of our major thrusts and we fully support UNICEF and the National Telehealth Center in their initiatives to improve integrating local health information. We hope, through the support of Globe Telecom, we are able to empower the decision makers of local government units to enjoy on-demand information on health and other relevant programs to reach an informed decision through the rCHITS program. We hope to help bridge disparities in access to health care,” said Roberto Nazal, Corporate Social Responsibility Head of Globe Telecom.

“We are happy to partner with UNICEF Philippines in promoting one of their advocacies and supporting it via our My Rewards, My Globe campaign. With rewards now at 50% off, our subscribers can now redeem more rewards for themselves and for their loved ones. For a more rewarding experience, Globe is making a donation to UNICEF Philippines to benefit mothers and newborns, inspiring more subscribers to redeem more rewards because of this worthy cause,” adds Jay Beltran, Globe’s Head of Customer Lifecycle Management.

To know more about the My Rewards, My Globe campaign, text GIFT to 4438 for free.

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit www.unicef.ph

In the Philippines for over sixty years, UNICEF works through partners to help disadvantaged children and communities to ensure children are healthy, educated and protected from harm. UNICEF is quick to respond in emergencies to ensure affected communities are reached and provided with services from local governments and other service providers.