What We Do

  • We connect local healthcare workers with our interdisciplinary network of engineers, clinicians, researchers, and entrepreneurs to identify problems.
  • We conduct research to gain new insight into the problem.
  • We utilize research insights to brainstorm and develop innovative solutions that effectively address the problem.
  • We strategically seek solutions that generate the highest return per dollar invested.
  • We test and implement solutions and disseminate findings to the global community.

High-income countries generally have access to basic reproductive healthcare resources (e.g. obstetric services, surgery, and family planning). However, access to these services is made possible by infrastructure that requires decades for countries to develop as well as political and economic stability. Therefore, we must innovate to meet reproductive health needs on a global scale. At GIRHL, we utilize a scientific approach from an engineering perspective to foster this innovation.

Our current R&D portfolio is designed to address two large but key areas of unmet need in developing countries — maternal health (maternal mortality, morbidity, and stillbirth) and pelvic health (pelvic floor disorders including obstetric fistula and prolapse).

Projects


Maternal Health Initiatives

Simply, healthy mothers create better outcomes for children, resulting in a healthier population. Our Maternal Health Initiatives are conducted in collaboration with Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (Accra, Ghana) and are aimed at reducing maternal mortality, morbidity, and stillbirth.


Pelvic Health Initiatives

Pelvic floor disorders, PFDs, result in a considerable reduction in a person's quality of life. Our Pelvic Health Initiatives are conducted in collaboration with Panzi Hospital (Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo) and span the full-spectrum of PFDs including fistula and pelvic organ prolapse.