Rural Ethiopia Woman's Health
OHSU Global Collaboration to Improve Women's Health in Rural Ethiopia
Providers of women's health at Oregon Health and Science University are collaborating with two rural hospitals in Ethiopia to improve women's health, particularly to decrease maternal morbidity and mortality and improve quality of life. Lack of trained health providers in rural Ethiopia contributes to alarmingly high maternal mortality and morbidity from preventable causes such as postpartum hemorrhage, infection, hypertensive diseases of pregnancy and obstructed labor. Consequences of prolonged obstructed labor such as obstetric fistula have devastating physical and social consequences to a woman. Multiple vaginal deliveries and prolonged labor in the setting of a life time of physical exertion has also created a silent epidemic of uterovaginal prolapse among rural Ethiopian women severely limiting their daily activities and basic bodily functions.
In collaborating with Gimbie Adventist Hospital (GAH) and Mota regional Hospital, OHSU 
hopes to create a sustainable solution by providing training to Ethiopian rural health providers in the areas of safe pregnancy and delivery, management of obstetric emergencies, family planning, pelvic floor reconstructive surgeries, outreach work and community education. Multidisciplinary approach through various departments/schools at OHSU including obstetrics and gynecology, family practice , school of nursing, public health and anesthesiology will also create a unique learning and transformational experience for OHSU providers and trainees in the area of global women's health.
A team of rotating senior physician trainees as well as experienced faculty and staff will be traveling to these hospitals two to three times a year. The first team project will be in November 2010 where the team will perform uterovaginal prolapse surgeries and assess the potential for family planning and midwivery training programmes.. More information about this program will soon be available at: http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/health/services/women/community-outreach/index.cfm
To support this project, please visit www.globalsoulinternational.org
For detailed overview, please see our recent publication at http://stores.lulu.com/ethiopianwomen
Contact: rahel.nardos@gmail.com
