Pelvic floor disorders are estimated to affect up to 40 percent of women in Ethiopia. Most don’t receive the care they need to recover.
A urogynecology fellowship established in 2015 aims to fix these disparities, and build capacity in the region to ensure local healthcare practitioners have what they need to adequately treat conditions like obstetric fistula, pelvic prolapse and incontinence.
The fellowship was created by a number of partners, anchored by the Mekelle University College of Health Sciences and Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia.
Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility Director of Global Women’s Health, Rahel Nardos, MD, MCR, who was instrumental in launching the program and ensuring its sustainability, attended the fellowship’s most recent graduation ceremony in April. She was honored to be a keynote speaker.
“This fellowship program is more than just a training program. It has a much bigger meaning for the women of Ethiopia and the healthcare professionals who are better empowered to care for them,” said Nardos. “It shows what’s possible when good-hearted people and organizations come together to address the needs of a community.”
