DeyLight launches Boston nursing training program to cut maternal and newborn deaths

By AI, Created 12:51 PM UTC, June 04, 2026, /AGP/ – The DeyLight Health Foundation has started a two-week train-the-trainer fellowship in Boston for nurses and faculty from three Bangladesh institutions. The program aims to expand simulation-based obstetric and neonatal emergency training and help reduce preventable maternal and infant deaths.

Why it matters: - Maternal and newborn deaths in Bangladesh remain high even after major progress in recent years. - The program is designed to spread lifesaving obstetric and neonatal skills beyond the Boston cohort by training educators who will train others in Bangladesh. - DeyLight says the effort could help build the foundation for a future national simulation and skills development center.

What happened: - The DeyLight Health Foundation launched an intensive two-week professional development program in Boston. - The cohort includes nurse practitioners and faculty from Dhaka Medical College Hospital, AYAT College of Nursing and Health Science, and Kumudini Nursing College. - Simmons University School of Nursing is hosting the fellowship. - The training focuses on obstetric and neonatal emergency care, simulation-based teaching, and nursing leadership.

The details: - Program faculty include Dr. Heather Shlosser, Dr. Anne-Marie Barron, Professor Emerita of Simmons University and Clinical Nurse Specialist, and other Boston-based nursing educators. - DeyLight’s partners for the program include Simmons University School of Nursing, Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Harvard Medical School. - The train-the-trainer model is central to the program structure. - Participants are expected to return to their home institutions with the skills to train additional nurses and faculty. - The foundation says the program aims to create a cohort of simulation-trained nurse educators. - The foundation also expects expanded access to lifesaving obstetric training in rural and underserved communities. - The program’s long-term goal is a reduction in maternal and infant mortality. - DeyLight is inviting partnerships from foundations, multilateral organizations, NGOs, and donors. - More information is available on the foundation’s website.

Between the lines: - The Boston-based training reflects a capacity-building strategy, not a one-time education event. - The partnership pairs clinical institutions with academic nursing leaders to strengthen both patient care and teaching skills. - The need remains acute despite progress cited in the source: WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA reported Bangladesh cut its maternal mortality ratio by 79% from 2000 to 2023, yet an estimated 4,000 women still died from pregnancy-related causes in 2023. - United Nations data also show more than 100,000 children in Bangladesh died before age 5 in 2023, with nearly two-thirds of those deaths occurring in the first 28 days of life.

What’s next: - Participants will return to Bangladesh and apply the training at their institutions. - DeyLight and its partners are positioning the program to scale into broader training access and future infrastructure. - The foundation is seeking additional partners and donors to expand the work.

The bottom line: - DeyLight is betting that training nursing educators will have a multiplier effect on maternal and newborn survival in Bangladesh.