New mothers attend their monthly antenatal care.
Suzanne Bell, MPH Candidate
As a Bixby summer intern, Suzanne worked alongside two domestic NGO’s in rural Bangladesh to complete the next phase of the Misoprostol Pilot Project. The project’s overall aim is to illustrate that women’s use of misoprostol and an absorptive mat during childbirth can reduce the rates of post partum hemorrhage (PPH), a leading cause of maternal death.
Suzanne’s internship objective was two-fold: collect retrospective data regarding the rates of maternal mortality and PPH prior to the inception of the clinical trial, and interview personnel involved with the program to ascertain perceptions and sustainability of the project. Although it required great tenacity to collect years of data from myriad government and NGO officials, Suzanne achieved her first aim. She also completed her second goal by conducting 24 in-depth interviews throughout the intervention’s catchment area, which produced a wealth of rich data. In order to meet these objectives, Suzanne traveled to 6 districts and met with countless individuals throughout the Rangpur Division in northern Bangladesh.
Now back in Berkeley, Suzanne will continue to work with this data alongside the Bixby research team. She remains committed to improving the lives of mothers abroad and is eager to see misoprostol more widely available in rural settings.