Blandina Mmbaga

by Joy StuttsNo Comments
Faculty Profile: Blandina Mmbaga Dr. Blandina Mmbaga is the Director of the Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute and a pediatrician at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC). She has collaborated with Duke University for over 10 years and currently serves as a site leader for the KCMC-Duke collaboration. Her work in reproductive health includes evaluating strategies to prevent mother-to-child-transmission of HIV and working to improve transitions of care and addressing RH needs for perinatally infected adolescents. We sat down with Dr. Blandina Mmbaga to talk about her work in Tanzania and what she believes are some of the biggest reproductive health challenges in her region. What are the key reproductive health priorities for Tanzania? Dr. Mmbaga described several systemic health challenges such as infant nutrition, maternal health, and unmet need for family planning.  She feels that one of the biggest challenges, despite available treatment mechanisms, is the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV. “It remains a challenge because there are still new infections”....
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Beyonce, SDGs, and #DayoftheGirl

Beyonce, SDGs, and #DayoftheGirl

by Joy Stutts Comment Closed
October 11th is International Day of the Girl. Adolescent girls continue to face worse health comes across the world. They are more likely to have an unmet need for family planning due to restrictive age policies, stigma, and ability to access services. They are more likely to be pulled out of school at a young age, and face increasing rates of sexual violence. Girls around the world have the right to be free to attend school, be safe from violence, make their own reproductive health decisions, and have a childhood. Beyonce lends her hand to this amazing video showing why #freedomforgirls is so important. ...
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Reproductive Health at Duke

Reproductive Health at Duke

by Joy StuttsNo Comments
When you hear the words ‘reproductive health’ what do you think of? Some may think of pregnancy, others the prevention of pregnancy. Maybe you think about the risk of HPV and cervical cancer, or the choice to decide your reproductive future. These are among the most important facets of reproductive health for both men and women. However reproductive health has much broader implications, and achieving optimal reproductive health can be challenging in many parts of the world. Pregnancy, contraception, safe motherhood, cervical cancer prevention, fertility goals, abortion, and gender-based violence are all facets of reproductive health that impact women throughout their lifespan.  Access to education and youth-friendly health services help young women navigate the transition through adolescence to educational and economic empowerment while avoiding early pregnancy and exposure to STIs and HIV.  Economic empowerment and respectful prenatal care ensure that women have a greater chance of deciding when to reproduce and doing so safely.  Strengthening and streamlining health care infrastructure through innovative...
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