Obstetrics and Gynecology Global Health

About Our OB/GYN Global Health Programs

Map of BIDMC's Global Health activity around the world — BIDMC OB/GYN's Global Health activity around the world (click on image to enlarge)

In communities across the globe, our faculty and staff are strengthening clinical care, enhancing medical education, engaging in research that impacts policy, and developing sustainable partnerships to improve outcomes and health inequities.

Below is some brief information about current collaborations.

Botswana Global Health Program

Sub-Saharan Africa faces a severe shortage of OB/GYNs. While the Lancet Commission for Global Surgery recommends 20 OB/GYNs per 100,000 population, Botswana has only 40 OB/GYNs for a population of 2.3 million.

In 2016, we expanded our Division’s involvement in BIDMC’s Botswana Global Health Program by recruiting and supporting a full-time faculty member who is based in Botswana, providing clinical care and expanding medical education. Most recently, our collaboration facilitated the launch of the first ever OB/GYN Master of Medicine (MMed) residency training program at the University of Botswana. This program helps to support clinical capacitation needs in Botswana by working with relevant local stakeholders and developing international collaborations to support subspecialty training. Additionally, our partnership supports in-country quality improvement and research programs addressing maternal health and cervical cancer screening and prevention programs.

U.S.-based OB/GYN residents also have the opportunity to participate in supervised clinical and research electives at this site. Learn more about this residency elective.

Companeros En Salud in Chiapas, Mexico

Since 2008, our faculty has collaborated with Compañeros En Salud, the Partners In Health affiliate organization in Chiapas, Mexico. Our current work focuses on improving the quality of care around child-birth and revitalizing prenatal, postpartum and reproductive health services in rural communities.

OB/GYN residents have supported these efforts in Chiapas through providing ultrasound training and clinical didactics to healthcare providers in Mexico.