UC Berkeley Bixby Center; RHIYW; Rwanda Biomedical Centre; Rwanda Society of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (RSOG)
Telemedicine provides a unique opportunity to improve abortion care in Rwanda by allowing for service provision at primary care level. Efficacy of medication abortion is well established in healthcare,yet research in Rwanda is still needed to determine the effectiveness and safety of management of first trimester medication abortion cases at health centers. While current services are only available in district hospitals, services at health centers would decrease referrals for first trimester medication abortion. This strategy will also reduce costs of service provision and address...
Amol De Gabriel from the community-led media initiative Kakuma Cinema interviewed Bhavya Joshi, one of the Bixby Center's fellows on February 22, 2024 in Kakuma, Kenya. The conversation touched upon various topics, beginning with Bhavya’s background, and the purpose of her visit to Kakuma. She shared perspectives on the significance of her work in promoting reproductive health and well-being within the community. She concluded with a message to Kakuma's youth. The exchange highlighted the spirit of mutual learning and collaboration with the community.
Telemedicine provides a unique opportunity to improve abortion care in Rwanda by allowing for service provision at primary care level. Efficacy of medication abortion is well established in healthcare,yet research in Rwanda is still needed to determine the effectiveness and safety of management of first trimester medication abortion cases at health centers. While current services are only available in district hospitals, services at health centers would decrease referrals for first trimester medication abortion. This strategy will also reduce costs of service...
It is imperative to make family planning more accessible in low resource settings. The poorest couples have the highest fertility, the lowest contraceptive use and the highest unmet need for contraception. It is also in the low resource settings where maternal and child mortality is the highest. Family planning can contribute to improvements in maternal and child health, especially in low resource settings where overall access to health services is limited. Four critical steps should be taken to increase access to family planning in resource-poor settings: (i) increase knowledge...
India stands on the brink of a major HIV epidemic. However, by examining where public health initiatives went wrong in Africa, the international community may be able to help India avoid the devastating effects seen in Africa
In rural African settings, the colorful fabric kanga is locally-made and inexpensive; every woman owns dozens for use as skirts and shawls. The kanga has become useful as a simple solution for the complicated problem of measuring blood loss after delivery. This commentary describes remarkable results when traditional birth attendants in Tanzania use the kanga to identify postpartum hemorrhage.
Published in International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics (2005) 89, 49—50
In much of the developing world, private health care providers and pharmacies are the most important sources of medicine and medical care and yet these providers are frequently not considered in planning for public health. This paper presents the available evidence, by socioeconomic status, on which strata of society benefit from publicly provided care and which strata use private health care. Using data from The World Bank’s Health Nutrition and Population Poverty Thematic Reports on 22 countries in Africa, an assessment was made of the use of public and private health services, by asset...
Objective: Lime has a long history as a contraceptive and vaginal hygiene douche, and ongoing use in Africa is documented. We report on the first safety study on diluted lime juice to assess its potential as a candidate microbicide. Methods: Twenty-five sexually abstinent women were randomly assigned to apply a 10% or 20% concentration of lime juice or 0% (water-only) through a soaked tampon once daily for 14 consecutive days. Tests for genital infections, measurement of inflammatory biomarkers, and a colposcopy were performed before and after treatment. Results: No participant showed...
This article is a response to letters sent in to Science regarding the article “Reassessing HIV Prevention” by Potts M, Halperin DT, Kirby D, Swidler A, Marseille E, Klausner JD, Hearst N, Wamai RG, Kahn JG, Walsh J. 2008 May 9;320(5877):749-50. 2008;
The authors argue, “Population-level disease control efforts must be evidence-based, culturally acceptable, and feasible...