CMMB Launches Strategic Partnerships and Global Volunteer Initiatives to Strengthen Health Systems Worldwide
New model expands volunteer engagement to better support locally led, sustainable health solutions
New York, NY, July 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) announced the launch of Strategic Partnerships and Global Volunteer Initiatives, a new approach to volunteer engagement designed to strengthen health systems through specialized expertise, strategic collaboration, and locally driven solutions.
Volunteerism has been central to CMMB's mission for more than 100 years. Over the past decade alone, hundreds of skilled medical and public health professionals have served with CMMB around the world, supporting frontline health workers and improving access to quality healthcare in underserved communities.
The new program reflects the changing realities of global health and the changing needs of CMMB's local teams and partners.
“The global health landscape is shifting rapidly as aid funding contracts,” wrote Marcia Grand Ortega, Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships and Global Volunteer Initiatives, in a recent article. “The burden of disease in the countries we serve continues to evolve beyond maternal and child health towards noncommunicable diseases, including mental health, and emerging infectious threats.”
In response, CMMB piloted project-based volunteer initiatives that enabled skilled, often non-clinical, professionals to contribute to defined projects remotely, in person, or through hybrid engagements. The projects were designed to equip local teams to sustain and expand the work long after volunteer placements concluded.
This year alone, the program has engaged more than 100 volunteers — already surpassing its annual target — and contributed over $1.2 million in value in terms of donated service to country programs.
A formal review of CMMB's volunteer program also revealed that while clinical volunteers remain valuable, local teams increasingly need specialized expertise in areas such as research, communications, grant writing, data analysis, and clinical education.
The Strategic Partnerships and Global Volunteer Initiatives program aligns with broader shifts in the global health sector to emphasize locally led development, sustainable capacity strengthening, and collaborative knowledge sharing among professionals from diverse disciplines.
For more information about Strategic Partnerships and Global Volunteer Initiatives, visit cmmb.org or contact volunteer@cmmb.org
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About CMMB
Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) is a faith-based non-governmental organization working around the world to love our neighbor by bringing healthcare closer to home. Guided by its vision of a world in which every human life is valued, and health and human dignity are shared by all, CMMB partners globally to strengthen healthcare systems and expand access to sustainable, high-quality care for underserved communities.
Emma Cashman Catholic Medical Mission Board (518) 290-0105 communications@cmmb.org
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