About Group B Strep International

Our Mission and Goals

The mission of Group B Strep International (GBSI) is to promote international awareness and prevention of Group B Strep disease in babies before birth through early infancy.  Our goal is to be a central resource for GBS information in a variety of languages for both the general public and medical professionals.  The scope of our mission includes actively supporting the GBS awareness and prevention efforts of individuals and organizations on a community or national level.

Group B Strep International’s focus includes all stages of a baby’s development in which they are susceptible to GBS infection.  This ranges from unborn babies in the first trimester to infants up to six months of age. Founders John MacDonald and Marti Perhach are also developing GBS awareness and prevention resources for countries that do not have an active program readily available. Group B Strep International is a non-profit public benefit corporation under the State of California.

Our History

Group B Strep International was formed in April 2006 by John MacDonald and Marti Perhach who each lost a daughter to Group B strep (GBS). Both John and Pam MacDonald’s daughter, Hannah, and Chris and Marti Perhach’s daughter, Rose, were stillborn full-term. (Read Hannah's story here; read Rose's story here.) Both deaths were fully preventable, inspiring John and Marti to promote GBS awareness and prevention on a national level throughout the United States.

The efforts of Marti, John, and other dedicated volunteers have been rewarded with substantial changes over the last eight years:

CDC has changed its recommendation from risk-based screening of pregnant women for GBS to universal screening of all pregnant women.

Regional awareness and prevention campaigns have achieved up to 70% reductions in GBS disease.

July has been designated International GBS Awareness Month.

Group B Strep International has been founded to expand the scope and the audience of this campaign.

Group B Strep International welcomes your support in our campaign to promote complete GBS awareness and prevention around the world, in memory and honor of all the babies and the families whose lives have been changed by GBS.

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