There are great inequities in access to pelvic floor health around the world, particularly in low and middle income countries (LMICs). Historically interest in global health has revolved around obstetric fistula care among FPMRS trained providers. This seminar will highlight some of the persistent pelvic floor disorders that impact women, including those after successful closure of fistula, the changes in the trends in obstetric fistula and the need to shift our paradigm in global health engagement to meet the need.

1.Understand the burden of pelvic floor dysfunction including incontinence after successful obstetric fistula closures
2.Learn about the changing trends in obstetric fistula and what it means for approaches to treatment
3.Understand the epidemiology of PFDs in Low and middle income countries
4.Discuss Ethical Framework (eg Brocher Declaration) for short term medical mission
5. Understand tennets of sustainable global health partnership models in pelvic floor capacity building

Rahel Nardos was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She received a scholarship to attend Franklin and Marshall college where she earned her BS in Biopsychology. A Yale School of Medicine graduate, she completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University in St. Louis. Following her residency and with support from Worldwide Fistula Fund, Dr. Nardos spent one year as staff surgeon at the Addis Ababa Hamlin Fistula Hospital where she served women with childbirth injuries. She then returned to the United States and completed her fellowship training in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, as well as her master’s degree in clinical research at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). Following her training, Dr. Nardos served as the Division head of Urogynecology at Kaiser Permanente Northwest and Director of Global Health in OBGYN at OHSU. She was recognized for her clinical work and leadership as the 2018 recipient of the Kaiser Permanente Distinguished Physician Award. Global Fund for Women named Dr Nardos a Mama Hero to recognize her contribution to global women’s health. At OHSU, she founded Footsteps to Healing, a global women’s health initiative which provided team based surgical services to rural Ethiopian women with severe pelvic floor disorders . In 2015, Dr Nardos joined the board of Worldwide Fistula Foundation (WFF) where she currently serves as the chair of Programming committee to support capacity building in the care of women with childbirth injuries in multiple countries in Africa. As part of her leadership role, Dr Nardos has been involved in the creation and ongoing support of the first formal Urogynecology Fellowship program in Ethiopia. In 2020, Dr Nardos co-founded and currently serves as the vice chair of Global Perm NW, an NGO based in Portland Oregon, created to build healthcare capacity in low resource settings. Dr Nardos is the immediate past chair of the American Urogynecologic Society Global Health Interest Group. Dr Nardos joined Health within the Center of Global Health and Social Responsibility. Toolbox Manage Features Settings Manual Purchase Life Cycle PreUniversity of Minnesota in August 2020 as associate professor in the Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive surgery and as Director of Global Wview