Global Women’s Health

Female doctor stands next to an African child

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Welcome to the Global Women’s Health (GWH) within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. We believe in the GWH’s mission to improve health equity worldwide through enhanced clinical collaboration among investigators around the world, equal access to health, enhanced public health awareness, inclusive educational programs, cutting edge discoveries and research and partnership.

For the last two decades our department has been involved in addressing important GWH initiatives and our work was possible only through strong partnership with dynamic faculty and investigators around the world including Ethiopia (Mekelle University), Uganda, South-Africa, and Ecuador. The educational effort of our GWH led to extraordinary achievements including education and graduation of high-caliber OB/GYN residents in Ethiopia. This educational model extended to many other regions of Ethiopia, including Oromiya, Addis Ababa as well as Uganda (Makerere University). For many years our faculty collaborated with investigators across South-Africa and Uganda to test the implication of a newly designed tool to predict preeclampsia. Lastly, as a testimony of their achievement and commitment to GWH our faculty have been invited to present their work in the U.S,. and around the globe.

Our facultys’ talents have been amply recognized institutionally, nationally and internationally. In 2021, Dr. Ford was asked to be the UIC Associate Director of Academic Programs at the Center for Global Health. On the same year, Dr. Goba was invited by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) to serve on the Committee on Well Woman Health Care. Dr. Irina Buhimschi was recognized as a guest speaker at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) World Intellectual Property (IP) Day Featured Innovator, Capitol Hill, Washington DC 2018 ceremony and received the USPTO Patents for Humanity Award.

Our department remains active in the GWH arena and continues to partner with the global community across the world in the interest of women’s health and human rights.

Grants awarded to UIC’s Global Women’s Health