R O W FOUNDATION
One World. One Standard.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Epilepsy can be controlled in 70% of cases through knowledgeable health care providers, proper diagnosis, and the right medication. However, 80% (around 52 million) of those with epilepsy live in low- and lower-middle income countries, where about 75% do not get needed treatment. In some countries, more than 90% are left untreated. This treatment gap can be truly devastating for the millions of adults and children with epilepsy, as well as for their families. Uncontrolled seizures mean risk of physical and material harm as well as severe social stigmatization and discrimination that often limit their educational opportunities and livelihoods. Additionally, there is an established comorbidity between epilepsy and some psychiatric disorders that exacerbates the economic and social consequences to themselves and their families. It is the individuals who lack access to resources and adequate health care that suffer the most.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Increasing Access to Treatment for Mental and Neurological Disorders in Nigeria
In keeping with our mission to improve the lives of people living with epilepsy and associated psychiatric disorders in under-resourced regions, we are happy to announce a partnership with The HAPPINESS Project. The HAPPINESS Project (The Health Action for Psychiatric Problems in Nigeria including Epilepsy and SubstanceS) works to increase access to treatments for mental and neurological disorders in Nigeria. The Project provides training and clinical support in rural communities to screen for and manage these disorders. It’s a collaborative effort supported by the Yale Global Mental Health Program, local academic institutions and government agencies.
Epilepsy Diagnosis Capacity for a Pediatric Unit in India
In June 2018, ROW made a grant to Santokba Durlabhjii Memorial Hospital in Jaipur, India for the purchase of an EEG unit for their pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Every month, 25-30 neurologically-affected children are admitted to the PICU. On average, there are one or two EEG recordings done daily for acute seizure patients. At least once a month, a child needs continuous EEG monitoring for up to a week. Until now, the PICU hasn’t had a dedicated EEG machine. They have depended on borrowing an adult neurology department unit when it was free, sometimes waiting up to a week to use it. With this new machine, the PICU will offer routine and continuous EEG monitoring to patients at a subsidized cost to the parents. No longer will they have to wait for the diagnosis and care they urgently need.
Medication Grants for Venezuela
Since 2018, ROW has been making large medication grants to Venezuela, a country experiencing a severe shortage of medicines that makes it very difficult for people to get essential medical care. The Pharmaceutical Federation of Venezuela estimates 85 percent of medicines are not available, and states “the entire Venezuelan health care system is on the verge of collapse.” Anti-epileptic drugs are amongst the hardest to find.
Treatment Medication for Individuals with Epilepsy in Sierra Leone
The ROW Foundation is making medication grants of Roweepra (levetiracetam tablets USP) to the Loreto Health Services Center in Makeni, Sierra Leone. The center is located in the country’s Northern Province and provides care for about 650 patients monthly. Services provided include maternal and child health care, obstetrics, post-natal care and immunization, the treatment of malaria, acute respiratory infection, skin infections, typhoid, and epilepsy.
Testing a Community Health Worker Approach to Improve Care for Children with Epilepsy in Zambia
ROW is partnering with Boston Children's Hospital to improve both the care of children with epilepsy as well community support and resources in a coordinated effort. As seen in high resource regions, we believe that such an approach will improve caregivers of children to seek out care in a more timely fashion, provide both educational and psychosocial support in home, school and the community, which will ultimately lead to overall improvement of quality of life and general health and productivity outcomes for children and their families.
Community Health Workers and Tele-Health to Improve Epilepsy Care in Rural India
Expand a mobile epilepsy clinic to include critical pre-clinic and post-clinic services through the following two channels:
1. Community Health Workers (CHWs) - CHWs are equipped, trained, and mobilized to support basic care for many common illnesses and have been instrumental in getting low-cost healthcare into under-resourced rural areas.
2. Tele-Health / Helpline – A tele-health / helpline approach whereby a doctor can provide as-needed remote support will help overcome the barriers to treatment faced by those in villages. A tele-health appointment with a doctor equipped to treat epilepsy can allow for necessary modifications to treatment plans, such as adjustments to dosage levels and changes to medication.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of organizational partners
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Victims and oppressed people, Ethnic and racial groups
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The cumulative number of ROW's organizational partners.
Number of program sites
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Ethnic and racial groups, Economically disadvantaged people, Victims and oppressed people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The cumulative number of countries that ROW has supported projects in.
Number of prescriptions filled
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Ethnic and racial groups, Economically disadvantaged people, Victims and oppressed people
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
A "prescription" represents an amount of medication typically prescribed per patient on a monthly basis according to WHO's defined daily dosage level.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
ROW Vision
ROW Global Health and the ROW Foundation exist to improve the lives of people living with epilepsy and associated psychiatric disorders in under-resourced areas around the world. We envision a future where the best treatments will be available to all people, at all times, in all the world. One World. One Standard.®
ROW Mission
In fulfilling our vision, the ROW works to improve the quality of training, diagnosis and treatment available to people with epilepsy and associated psychiatric disorders in under-resourced areas of the world. We partner with other organizations to maximize impact in under-served areas, both domestically and internationally.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The ROW Foundation addresses global treatment gaps in epilepsy and psychiatry by working through mission-aligned health partners to improve the quality and accessibility of training, diagnosis and treatment. ROW provides grant funding to partners that operate in under-resourced communities for activities that lead to the greatest possible impact. ROW’s grants cover the following:
• Improving diagnosis and monitoring - Recognizing that effective treatment is impossible without proper diagnosis, ROW provides grants that include EEG machines.
• Providing training for health care providers - ROW is committed to improving levels of epilepsy and psychiatry-specific training for health care providers through traditional face-to-face educational programs, distance education, and telemedicine consultations.
• Epilepsy Telehealth – ROW is working to bring top-notch epilepsy services to patients living in rural areas of the United States.
• Medication – The ROW Foundation helps get life-changing, effective medication into the hands of people who would otherwise not have access to it.
* Addressing stigma and discrimination around epilepsy - Because the social consequences of epilepsy often exceed the medical consequences.
ROW has also been active in helping doctors and health care professionals in the developed world train practitioners in the developing world to more effectively treat epilepsy and associated psychiatric disorders.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
To date, ROW has partnered with 70 health partners in 33 countries to maximize impact in underserved areas, both in the United States and internationally. Our partners work in the places where help is needed most. In addition to organizations, our partners include neurologists, EEG technicians, goodwill ambassadors, donors, and expatriates helping people in their homeland. ROW also works in concert with key international organizations like The World Health Organization (WHO), the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE).
ROW is governed by a Board of Directors that includes individuals with vast experience in the pharmaceutical industry and international non-profit work, as well as prominent neurologists. ROW's staff has a combined 70 years in international non-profit work, with expertise in operations, strategy, partnership development and project management.
ROW is part of a social business model in which the vast majority of our financial support to do our humanitarian work comes from a for-profit pharmaceutical company. ROW is affiliated with OWP Pharmaceuticals (OWP), a maker of branded generic epilepsy and psychiatry medications that are sold in the United States. Profits from OWP sales and shareholder dividends become revenues that help fund ROW. The two legally distinct entities of OWP and ROW together form a Social Enterprise model for bringing the highest standards of treatment for countries that have been ignored by “big pharma”. By offering affordable branded generic medication in the United States to treat epilepsy and psychiatric disorders, OWP provides a consistent flow of financial support to ROW.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Cumulative Results as of July 2022
The results of ROW Foundation's grants and activities in to date are:
- $21.7 million in grants made (primarily medication grants)
- 173,000 patient "prescription months" of medication granted
- Activities expanded to include 70 partners in 33 countries (cumulatively)
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead to 2022 and beyond, ROW will expand the projects it funds:
• Continued expansion of treatment for epilepsy during times of crisis
• Continued fulfillment of our ongoing commitment to provide a sustainable supply of medication to our partners
• Support for individuals facing psychiatric disorders - People with epilepsy are vulnerable to psychiatric co-morbidities, including depression and anxiety. To fulfill our mission, we are expanding our support to include individuals suffering from a range of psychiatric disorders.
• Addressing the stigma around epilepsy - In many countries and communities, the stigmas surrounding epilepsy are often greater than the physical harm caused by seizures. ROW will ramp up our efforts to support community-level training that addresses the devastating misconceptions around epilepsy.
• Reaching rural communities - The rural poor are the most isolated and underserved and the last to access health care services. ROW will expand our partners to support networks of community health workers that provide low-cost, community-based health care in rural areas.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
R O W FOUNDATION
Board of directorsas of 09/13/2023
Mark Petersen
Carol Gavin
Ruth Boyer
Bruce Duncan
Patricia Gibson
Mark Petersen
Marvin Rossi
Emilio Perucca
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data