CPAR (Canadian Physicians for Aid & Relief)

CPAR (Canadian Physicians for Aid & Relief) Building health systems capacity and supporting healthy lives in low resourced regions of Africa.

CPAR builds relationships with communities from a foundation of equality and respect. CPAR understands that community members themselves are the experts and that the success of our work stems from our ability to support the processes whereby community members empower themselves to take control of their own and their family’s futures. A healthy community does not simply mean that this community wil

l survive the hardships of tomorrow or the next day – it means that their children’s children will survive and thrive over many years. CPAR’s work is a long term commitment to change in rural Africa which is reflected in the way we build healthy communities. We work with communities to build long-term sustainable solutions as well as the community capacity and ownership that will allow them to endure.

At the Arusha Medical Camp, CPAR's Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies project demonstrated the value of bringing quality ma...
07/27/2026

At the Arusha Medical Camp, CPAR's Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies project demonstrated the value of bringing quality maternal health services closer to women in rural Tanzania.

During the camp, 94 obstetric ultrasound scans were completed, with 92 women identified as having obstetric complications requiring referral to the appropriate physicians for further care. Early detection of pregnancy-related complications can play an important role in supporting timely clinical decision-making and improving maternal and newborn health outcomes.

The event also highlighted the importance of collaboration. When another organization experienced challenges with its ultrasound equipment, CPAR made an additional transducer available, helping ensure more women could continue to receive timely, high-quality screening throughout the camp.

Experiences like these demonstrate how strong partnerships, shared resources, and local collaboration can expand access to essential maternal healthcare and strengthen health systems for the communities they serve.

06/16/2026

We are pleased to announce our official membership in the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty.

As a member of the Alliance, CPAR brings more than four decades of experience working with communities, local organizations, and governments across Sub-Saharan Africa to strengthen health, food security, resilience, and sustainable development.

We are proud to join this growing global network and contribute practical experience, shared learning, and locally driven approaches that help address the interconnected challenges of hunger, poverty, and inequality.


Climate change is reshaping daily life — particularly in communities where access to food, water, and economic opportuni...
06/05/2026

Climate change is reshaping daily life — particularly in communities where access to food, water, and economic opportunities is already under pressure.

Across Ethiopia, Malawi, and Tanzania, communities are taking practical steps to strengthen their resilience. Through sustainable agriculture, improved nutrition practices, tree planting, and rainwater harvesting systems that help secure reliable water supplies, local solutions are helping households adapt to changing environmental conditions.

These efforts demonstrate that climate resilience is built through practical action, local knowledge, and long-term investment in communities.

This World Environment Day, join the movement and help accelerate community‑driven climate resilience.

As we mark World Menstrual Hygiene Day, CPAR reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that girls can manage menstruation saf...
05/28/2026

As we mark World Menstrual Hygiene Day, CPAR reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that girls can manage menstruation safely, with dignity, and without barriers to education.

Through CPAR’s WASH programs, we work with communities and schools to improve access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure in underserved areas. This includes constructing and rehabilitating water points, latrines, and handwashing stations, while also supporting menstrual hygiene management in school environments.

These investments help create safer and healthier learning spaces and support school attendance, particularly for girls who are more likely to miss class when adequate sanitation and menstrual hygiene support are unavailable.

Menstrual health is not only a health issue - it is also linked to education, equality, and opportunity.

This World Menstrual Hygiene Day, we call for continued investment in inclusive WASH and school health programs so that every girl has the support she needs to learn, participate, and thrive.

Obstetric fistula is a preventable childbirth injury that can lead to severe health complications, social isolation, and...
05/23/2026

Obstetric fistula is a preventable childbirth injury that can lead to severe health complications, social isolation, and lasting stigma when women cannot access timely, quality maternal healthcare.

Today, we stand with survivors and with the health workers, advocates, and communities working to ensure safe childbirth and dignity for all women.

Preventing obstetric fistula means ensuring complications during pregnancy and labour are identified and treated early. Through CPAR’s Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies project in rural Tanzania, we are expanding access to antenatal care and ultrasound services, training midwives and physicians, strengthening referral systems, and supporting community outreach to help women access care earlier and more safely.

Ending obstetric fistula requires sustained investment in skilled birth attendance, emergency obstetric care, transportation systems, and respectful maternity care - especially in underserved rural communities.

Support maternal health and help expand access to life-saving care: cpar.ca/donate

On International Nurses Day, we recognize the skill, compassion, and leadership nurses bring to communities every day. T...
05/12/2026

On International Nurses Day, we recognize the skill, compassion, and leadership nurses bring to communities every day. This year’s theme, “Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives,” is a powerful reminder that strong health systems depend on strong health workers.

At a time when healthcare systems around the world are facing growing pressures - from workforce shortages to rising health needs and the impacts of conflict and climate change - investing in nurses and frontline health workers has never been more important.

At CPAR, strengthening health systems means investing in people. Since 1984, CPAR has supported the training of more than 20,000 health workers across our programs, helping expand access to quality care in underserved communities.

Together, we can continue supporting the frontline workers who make healthcare possible.

Make a difference today: cpar.ca/donate

Today, we recognize midwives and the life-saving, relationship-based care they provide before, during, and after birth. ...
05/05/2026

Today, we recognize midwives and the life-saving, relationship-based care they provide before, during, and after birth.

On this International Day of the Midwife, CPAR is highlighting the global call for one million more midwives - so every woman can access respectful, quality maternal and newborn care.

Through our health systems strengthening programs, CPAR trains local frontline health workers, including midwives, building their skills in maternal and newborn care while supporting stronger, more sustainable community health systems. This approach helps ensure care is accessible, culturally appropriate, and available where it is needed most.

Looking to take action? Advocate for sustained investment in the midwifery workforce so every family has the care and support they deserve.

Environmental protection is people protection. Around the world, too many communities still face polluted air, unsafe wa...
04/22/2026

Environmental protection is people protection.

Around the world, too many communities still face polluted air, unsafe water, limited access to reliable energy, and the growing impacts of climate change. These are not abstract challenges - they directly shape people’s health, livelihoods, and opportunities.

Earth Day is not only about celebrating the environment; it’s about protecting the conditions that allow communities to live healthy, dignified lives.

At CPAR, we work alongside communities to strengthen climate resilience, improve access to clean water, and support sustainable solutions that protect both people and the environment.

This Earth Day, we stand with communities on the frontlines and reaffirm our commitment to practical, locally driven solutions.

It was great to have CPAR Ethiopia Country Manager, Dr. Felagot Taddese and Mark Loewenberger, CPAR's Program Coordinato...
04/10/2026

It was great to have CPAR Ethiopia Country Manager, Dr. Felagot Taddese and Mark Loewenberger, CPAR's Program Coordinator attend the 2026 Ontario Council for International Cooperation Symposium: Strengthening Global Citizenship Through Collective Action in Toronto.

This inspiring gathering brought together international cooperation actors, community leaders, youth, and allies to deepen understanding and commitment to global citizenship.

A key session featured Mark and Dr. Felagot, who shared how CPAR's Remote Ultrasound Capacity Building for Antenatal Access (RUAA) project in rural Ethiopia has supported locally led, feminist, and more equitable health systems. The discussion highlighted how shifting decision-making and ownership to local institutions can strengthen public services and improve access to care.

In celebration of World Health Day, we’re shining a light on women whose health needs are too often overlooked, especial...
04/08/2026

In celebration of World Health Day, we’re shining a light on women whose health needs are too often overlooked, especially in remote communities.

In rural Tanzania, distance, limited resources, and gaps in access to care put pregnant women at unnecessary risk. But science and technology are helping change that.

Through CPAR’s Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies project, evidence-based tools are reaching women closer to home. Portable diagnostic devices, digital health solutions, and trained community health workers are enabling earlier screenings, safer pregnancies, and access to critical health information.

When science reaches women, outcomes improve. When care is guided by evidence, mothers and babies have a better chance to thrive.

Health should not depend on geography. Every woman deserves access to safe, timely, and quality care – no matter where she lives.

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