Obstetric fistulas are rarely seen in the U.S. However, this traumatic childbirth injury still affects thousands of women a year in sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the world where obstetric care is hard to find.

Obstetric fistulas can develop during labor when the baby gets stuck in the birth canal. This condition, which is easily prevented through reliable access to emergency obstetric care and cesarean sections, can have severe life-changing consequences for rural women without access.

Rachel Pope, MD, MPH, an obstetrician/gynecologist at the UH Urology Institute and a UH Roe Green Global Health Scholar, is fellowship-trained in global women’s health, with a focus on obstetric fistula repairs. She utilized the grant she received from the UH Roe Green Center for Travel Medicine & Global Health to develop an app to help train more physicians in fistula repairs.

The app features video lectures, animations, research articles, and a form that allows doctors to track patient cases and outcomes.

Learn more about the UH Roe Green Center for Travel Medicine & Global Health and how you can help advance its mission.