Insights & Updates – Page 2 – Global Reproductive Health at Duke

Reflections from the Field: Implementing HPV Testing and Assessing Sanitary Pad Need

June 26, 2025July 28, 2025 by Ella BassettNo Comments

When I first inquired into the Center for Global Reproductive Health’s cervical cancer screening and prevention research, I wasn’t sure where I should focus my efforts. After all, the center manages an impressive array of projects in Kisumu. First, there’s the ongoing R33 trial, an RCT evaluating the impact of the mSaada mobile app on HPV testing and treatment uptake. Then there’s Elimisha, a model of education and screening designed to measure and mitigate HPV and cervical cancer stigma. The Kenya-based team is also responsible for training Community Health Promoters (CHPs) and monitoring the supply needs of 12 dispensaries and hospitals across Siaya County. Each endeavor requires a set of carefully crafted tools for implementation, data collection, and analysis. Thus, even before we landed in Kisumu, our SRT team knew that we were entering a network of projects bursting with experience and hard-won lessons in global health implementation. Our newly arrived team celebrated our first full day in Kisumu with Dr....

From the Field: Hope’s Midsummer SRT Reflections

June 26, 2025July 28, 2025 by Hope TiwangNo Comments

We are entering the fourth week of our stay here in Kisumu, Kenya, and it has been nothing short of incredible. We arrived just one week before the training began, so we knew our first week would be busy. Just to give a bit of background, we are helping with the R33 study, which aims to assess the effects of the use of mSAADA—a mobile health app—on HPV screening and treatment. The study encompasses 12 clinics, 6 control (no app), and 6 intervention (use mSAADA). While we had done as much as we possibly could before arriving, nothing compares to actually being in the work, and during our first week, we dove headfirst into the R33 and mSAADA world. As Dr. Huchko was also present during our first week, we worked closely with her and the team to finalize the materials for training the Community Health Promoters (CHPs). Sierra got to work closely with Evans modifying mSAADA and creating the training...

Meet Sierra Remington, 2025 SRT Program

June 2, 2025June 12, 2025 by Maren WebsterNo Comments

Sierra Remington is a rising junior majoring in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies in the Arabic concentration and minoring in Biology and Global Health. She and the rest of the SRT cohort are arriving in Kisumu this week! Keep reading to get to know Sierra! Question: What about your upcoming trip to Kenya are you most looking forward to? Answer: I am most looking forward to seeing the process for the project we have been working on. Sometimes just talking about it and working behind the scenes makes it hard to picture the goal, and I think being there and being with the team will help with that. Q: What do you hope to do after graduation? A: I hope to become a military physician assistant and to continue to improve my Arabic skills by working with refugees. Q: What are you involved in outside of your studies? Can you tell us more? A: I am on the club volleyball team and on the executive board...

Meet Ella Bassett, 2025 SRT Program

May 22, 2025 by Maren WebsterNo Comments

Ella Bassett is a rising junior majoring in Biology and Global Health. Keep reading to get to know this member of the wonderful 2025 SRT cohort headed to Kenya in June! Question: What about your upcoming trip to Kenya are you most looking forward to? Answer: I am most excited to meet the team members coordinating the mSaada study in Kisumu. After engaging with the Elimisha study from my home at Duke, I’ve found that I have so much to learn about the local burden of disease and how the health system adapts to combat stigma and social determinants of cervical cancer. I can’t wait to meet the research assistants, study coordinators, data managers, and lab technicians who are on the ground preparing to launch the mSaada trial in 12 clinics across the county. Q: What sparked your interest in global health? A: I arrived at the discipline of global health through the reproductive justice movement. Access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare throughout the lifecourse is...

Meet Hope Tiwang, 2025 SRT Program

May 19, 2025 by Maren WebsterNo Comments

Hope Tiwang is a rising junior at Duke University, studying Public Policy with a minor in Global Health. She is part of the Center's 2025 SRT cohort and will be heading to Kisumu, Kenya in June! Question: What about your upcoming trip to Kenya are you most looking forward to? Answer: I am most looking forward to meeting the Kenya Team and getting to know them. Q: What sparked your interest in global health? A: I have always been interested in Public Health, my interests have been in increasing health equity by providing health education services to underserved areas, particularly focusing on children. During my freshman fall I took global health 101 with Professor Ariely, and I learned that many countries experience health equity issues to varying degrees. The discussions with classmates and hearing from the various guest speakers helped spark my interest in global health. Q: What do you hope to do after graduation? A: I hope to take two Gap years and work...

Meet our Study Driver, Paul

May 1, 2025 by Maren WebsterNo Comments

Paul Otieno Ogutu is the study driver for the Cervical Cancer Screening and Prevention (CCSP) Team. He is an integral part of the team, making sure that the CCSP team gets to study sites across the Nyanza Province of Kenya. From site visits in preparation for the launch of the new mSaada phase and setting up U54 health fairs in Siaya County, to enrolling clients in the Pocket colposcope project in Kisumu County, Paul is responsible for the transportation of the CCSP team. Keep reading to learn more about him! Question: What does your work position look like and what kind of things are you doing on a daily basis? Answer: I am the Study driver. My responsibilities include checking on the condition of the vehicle every morning, taking study staff to the study sites, and any other duty assigned by the study administrator. Q: Are there any hobbies or activities that you enjoy outside of work? A: Singing gospel songs, farming, and doing...

Get to Know our Laboratory & Data Team

April 21, 2025April 21, 2025 by Maren Webster and Amber SmithNo Comments

Florence Mawere, Evans Obuto and Raphael Onyango are three important members of our research team at Kenya Medical Research Institute. Florence is responsible for keeping our lab operating smoothly and she stays on top of processing HPV screening samples. Her role is vital in making sure that women receive accurate screening results in a timely manner. Evans and Raphael are responsible for managing our data, playing key roles in analyzing the effectiveness of our many interventions and sharing results with the research community. Their dedication to promoting health in their communities is inspiring, and it is a joy to work with this team. Continue reading for a window into the lives of Florence, Evans and Raphael! Florence Mawere – Laboratory Technician Q: What are you most looking forward to with your upcoming research? A: I am looking forward to seeing all women in our study receive successful cervical cancer treatment. Q: Do you have a favorite quote or mantra that inspires you or helps...

Get to Know Coordinators Jeniffer & Breandan

March 21, 2025March 21, 2025 by Maren Webster and Amber SmithNo Comments

Jeniffer Ambaka and Breandan Beller Makhulo are key members of our team in Kenya. These two coordinators play leading roles in keeping our project operations running smoothly: communicating with community partners and health facility staff, staying on top of enrollment records and regulatory documentation and organizing the efforts of our team among many other responsibilities. These team members are passionate, dedicated, and a joy to work alongside. Keep reading to get to know Jeniffer and Breandan a little better! Jeniffer Ambaka – Coordinator and Clinical Officer Question: What inspires you to pursue your area of work? Answer: I have a passion for serving women and children. With the knowledge and skills I have I always ensure women are screened regularly and those with early signs [of disease]. Pre-cancer is managed so that they don't progress to advanced cancer. It is my responsibility to empower women with knowledge and ensure they get the right services they require without any problems. Q: What is the most rewarding...

Getting to Know our Research Assistants

January 30, 2025January 30, 2025 by Maren Webster and Amber Smith1 Comment

The research assistants on our team in Kisumu, Kenya serve in a variety of roles, all of which contribute to making the research and intervention work we do possible. This team recently conducted in-depth interviews with women and community health promoters (CHPs) who engaged with our Elimisha project. These interviews explored women’s experiences with receiving cervical cancer screening and care and their experience of stigma, and CHPs’ experiences guiding and counselling women through the process of cervical cancer screening and care. After delving into these topics with women and CHPs, this team has been working hard to transcribe, translate and review the conversations. Their dedication, curiosity, and drive to improve the lives of women and families in their communities are abundantly evident in their work. Keep reading for a window into the lives and personalities of Merceline, Moureen, Belinda and Javan! Merceline Alala Question: What is the most rewarding part of your work? Answer: The most rewarding part of my work is when a...

The Sweeping Consequences of Abortion Restrictions on Sexual and Reproductive Health

December 19, 2024 by Ella BassettNo Comments

“There is more at stake than just protecting a woman’s choice to give birth.” Former First Lady Michelle Obama spoke of this reality during a Michigan campaign event for Vice President Kamala Harris on October 26th.1 This November marks the first presidential election since the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the revocation of a once-established national right to abortion, an essential healthcare service. The resulting hostile restrictions on abortion and their devastating health impacts have propelled the issue to its current political salience. Restrictions on abortion care are associated with increased maternal morbidity and mortality, with these burdens disproportionately harming Black birthing people.2 Further, a recent JAMA cohort study illustrated the detrimental impact of abortion bans on infant mortality, with researchers identifying an excess of infant deaths in Texas associated with the state’s 2021 abortion ban.3 These restrictions will also exacerbate inequalities and health systems barriers that prevent low-income patients, who are more likely to report an unintended pregnancy, from accessing...

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