March 27, 2026
Action for Mothers and Children (AMC) proudly announces the launch of the Strickler Fellowship, a new initiative to strengthen long-term healthcare collaboration between Kosovo and the United States while developing the next generation of clinical leaders in maternal and child health.
The fellowship honors Dr. James Strickler whose vision and leadership have shaped nearly two decades of partnership between Kosovo and Dartmouth College. His dedication to sustainable capacity-building has laid the foundation for this new program.
The inaugural fellow is Dr. Robert Gensure, associate professor of pediatrics at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College and Chief of Pediatric Endocrinology at Dartmouth Health Children’s Hospital.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Gensure to Kosovo as the very first Strickler Fellow,” said AMC Executive Director Rina Demiri Spahija. “His expertise brings hope to children living with Type 1 diabetes and their families. Every child here deserves the same modern, evidence-based care available elsewhere. Through this fellowship and our broader efforts, AMC is working to make advanced treatment the standard, not the exception.”
Dr. Gensure will lead a comprehensive training program for local clinicians on the modern management of Type 1 diabetes in children, combining remote learning with hands-on instruction from April 6-10 in Prishtina.
The fellowship carries forward the vision Dr. Strickler has long championed: partnership over charity, education over short-term aid and investment in local leadership. A former dean of the Geisel School of Medicine, Strickler helped forge early academic collaborations with Kosovo in the post-war period and was among the founders of AMC.
AMC selected a pediatric diabetes expert as the first fellow because of our commitment to children living with Type 1 diabetes, who face frequent finger pricks, daily insulin injections and around-the-clock monitoring. With donor support, AMC recently provided 10 children with insulin pumps and two years of supplies with a total value of more than €50,000. Yet advanced technologies such as insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors remain out of reach for many families.
To address this gap, AMC and Tip1omël have launched a national advocacy campaign to add these devices to Kosovo’s Essential List of Medical Supplies. Our online petition has already gathered more than 1,200 signatures.
Rooted in AMC’s mission to improve the health of women and children in Kosovo, the Strickler Fellowship represents a powerful step toward sustainable expertise, stronger institutions and better futures for children across the country.
