Teaching OB/GYN residents and medical students at the University of Rwanda School of Medicine on techniques for cervical cancer screening and treatment of early lesions. Similar teaching to community health workers on simplified screening and cryotherapy at Nyarugenge Distrit Hospital.
Teaching OB/GYN residents and Medicine residents at Kabale University Medical Center, Uganda
Local physicians in training and community based health workers can be trained to implement cervical cancer screening and early treatment programs in low resourced settings. This could ultimately help to reduce morbidity of cervical cancer in women in Rwanda and Uganda. The OB/GYN residency programs in both of these locations are well established and welcome support from Wordwide Healing Hands who has had a presence there repeatedly over the years, and has also created connections with other US based academic faculty to help with virtual case review and consultation as well as teaching.
Once these techniques are taught to local early learners, they can then teach others. The resources required are inexpensive and the techniques are simple to perform.
Local community outreach worker can also implement education programs in the community to educate women about the importance of cervical cancer screening.
I have to say that I was the MOST impacted by my trip!. I had such a rich, informative, moving experience and learned a tiny bit about healthcare in these settings. It was Fascinating!
In Rwanda we taught residents, medical students, nurse midwives about simple techniques for cervical cancer screening in low resourced areas, with simple point of care thermoablation for those that need intervention. We hope these techniques can be taught by those we instructed so the learning can spread.
In Uganda we taught residents, medical students and nurse midwives simple neonatal resuscitation with "Helping Babies Breath". It was especially satisfying to hear feedback that our teaching saved the life of an infant the very evening after one the residents on call took our class.
