Harvard Taking Care of Women in Times of Conflict, Upheaval, and Epidemics 2024

Overview

Harvard Taking Care of Women in Times of Conflict, Upheaval, and Epidemics 2024 is an educational course designed for healthcare professionals involved in obstetrics and gynecology with a focus on global women’s health in resource-poor and crisis settings. This course offers a comprehensive series of lectures, panel discussions, and clinical workshops delivered by Harvard faculty and expert guest speakers, addressing critical challenges such as maternal mortality, female genital mutilation, cervical cancer, and care during epidemics and humanitarian crises.

On-demand obstetrics and gynecology education — accessible anytime, anywhere.

Agenda

This agenda outlines the full schedule of sessions originally delivered live and now available on-demand, covering two days of focused content in Eastern Time.

• Breakfast and Registration —
• Welcome and Introduction — Khady Diouf, MD
• Working with Médecins sans Frontières as a Women’s Healthcare Provider: Identifying Needs in Women and their Children at a Time of War — Rasha Khoury, MD, MPH
• Caring for Women in Chronic Crisis: Lessons from Haiti — Christophe Millien, MD; Rebecca Henderson, MD, PhD
• Coffee Break —
• Navigating Maternal and Infant Health During Crisis: Addressing Prenatal and Postpartum Needs in the Displaced Armenian Population of Nagorno-Karabakh — Gail Guzelian, MD; Kim Hekimian, PhD
• Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Reproductive Health Services in Ghana and Uganda & Lessons Learnt — Adeline Boatin, MD, MPH
• Panel Q&A w/ Faculty — Rasha Khoury, MD, MPH; Gail Guzelian, MD; Christophe Millien, MD; Rebecca Henderson, MD, PhD; Kim Hekimian, PhD; Adeline Boatin, MD, MPH
• Lunch Break —
• Migrant/Refugee Crisis in the US — Monique Tú Nguyen
• Legal Concerns and our Work at the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program — Cindy Zapata, JD
• Refugee Health in the United States: Migrant Crisis and OB GYN Needs — Ana Cristina Sedas, MD, MMSc
• Panel Q&A w/ Faculty — Ana Cristina Sedas, MD, MMSc; Cindy Zapata, JD; Monique Tú Nguyen
• Coffee Break —
• Workshop A: How to Start a Refugee and Migrant Clinic/Program* — Rasha Khoury, MD, MPH & Team (*Recording available post-course)
• Workshop B: How to get Involved Locally in Immigrant and Refugee Health** — Cindy Zapata, JD; Ana Cristina Sedas, MD, MMSc; Sammie Truong, MD (**Live streamed)
• Breakfast and Registration —
• Responding to Natural Disasters as a Women’s Healthcare Provider — Annekathryn Goodman, MD, MS, MA, MPH
• Are We Prepared for the Next Pandemic? — Khady Diouf, MD
• Coffee Break —
• Language and Immigration Justice in Pregnancy Care — Rose Molina, MD, MPH
• Working with MSF in South Sudan: Incorporating Trauma Care in Labor and Delivery — Veronica Ades, MD, MPH, FACOG
• Panel Q&A w/ Faculty — Rose Molina, MD, MPH; Khady Diouf, MD; Annekathryn Goodman, MD, MS, MA, MPH; Veronica Ades, MD, MPH, FACOG
• Lunch Break —
• Working to Develop the Next Generation of Women’s Healthcare Providers. Academic Partnerships to Strengthen Training — Rebecca Luckett, MD, MPH (Presented via Zoom)
• Global OBGYN Fellowship in the Middle East: Training Challenges and Opportunities — Sarrah Shahawy, MD, MPH
• Panel Q&A w/ Faculty — Sarrah Shahawy, MD, MPH; Rebecca Luckett, MD, MPH

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Analyze the fundamental issues of maternal mortality.
• Provide high quality and respectful care to women in limited-resource settings.
• Integrate mental health into maternal health services.
• Address caring for women in times of war.
• Assess the role of OB/GYN providers in humanitarian settings.
• Compare the impact of recent epidemics on pregnant women.
• Consider the challenges of surgical care in limited-resource settings.
• Analyze the ethical challenges of maternal and newborn health care and research in limited-resource settings.
• Discuss cervical cancer prevention strategies globally.
• Manage immigrant and refugee OB/GYN needs.

Speakers

This course features faculty from Harvard University and guest experts specializing in global women’s health across multiple disciplines. Their expertise supports the advancement of obstetrics and gynecology care in conflict, epidemic, and resource-limited settings. The faculty includes physicians, public health professionals, and legal experts dedicated to improving outcomes for vulnerable populations.

Target Audience

• OB/GYN Physicians
• Specialty Physicians
• Psychologists
• Nurses
• Nurse Practitioners
• Physician Assistants
• Primary Care Physicians
• Family Medicine Providers

Why This Topic Matters

Harvard Taking Care of Women in Times of Conflict, Upheaval, and Epidemics 2024 addresses vital challenges faced by women in global health crises, advancing clinical expertise in obstetrics and gynecology within humanitarian and resource-limited environments. The course provides relevant, evidence-based content that strengthens healthcare providers’ ability to deliver compassionate, effective care in settings of conflict and epidemics.

MedHub Central offers this course to facilitate professional development in this growing specialty, supporting the knowledge and skills needed to respond to complex health disparities affecting women worldwide. This education promotes multidisciplinary approaches and ethical awareness critical to improving women’s health outcomes globally.