MODERATOR: Dr. Reinou Groen

Medical technical developments continue to evolve, however which population is benefiting? Reinou Groen (MD, MIH, PhD) has experience and continues to explore to improve health care for women in low resource or rural settings including multiple countries in sub-Saharan Africa and currently in Rural Alaska. Technical solutions for medical diagnosis, monitoring or treatment are challenging when working with limited funds, small uptake area's and limited health care personnel. Her motto is turn frustration into innovation. 

During this day she will give a short lecture to introduce Global Surgery. Her PhD was focused on Surgical Epidemiology in low resource setting and her Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical need (SOSAS)- study has now been done in over 10 countries to define the need for surgery on a population-based level. When leading the Symposium on Innovation for Global Surgery she will give you enough food for thought, and possible some frustration in need for innovation.

Professor Eric Borgstein

Combining the delivery of high-quality surgical care with academic leadership in one of the poorest countries in the world has given me a unique insight into the healthcare problems faced in a low-income setting. Having grown up in a medical family in Malawi I returned there after graduating from University of Groningen and spent 3 years as a general medical officer in a busy central hospital. The reality of medical practice under such circumstances convinced me early on that the provision of specialist care is an essential component of the health care delivery system. Completing general surgical training in Scotland I went on to do paediatric surgery in Amsterdam. I have worked in Malawi as paediatric surgeon since 1992. I am Professor of Surgery at the College of Medicine, University of Malawi and currently Secretary General of the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA).

Dr. June Madete

Dr. June Madete is a Biomedical engineer specialized in biomechanics, a researcher and senior lecturer at Kenyatta University with special interest and expertise in collections, analysis and interpretation of gait data using various motion analysis software and hardware. She seeks to develop biomechanics within Kenya through knowledge and skill transfer with students, lectures and scientists across various sets of expertise.She has served as member on various sub-committee looking into the establishment of various policy’s and standard to be followed at the newly build Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral university hospital. In addition, she was part of the local organizing committee for the International Conference on Appropriate Technology, committee in charge of developing a dialysis centre at Kenyatta university, and that in charge of developing a state of the art 3-D printing innovation center for research and. She has worked for Cardiff University, Egerton University (Kenya), Kenyatta University (Kenya), and Addis Ababa Institute of Technology. 

Dr. Moses Obimbo

Dr.Moses Obimbo works as a senior lecturer in the Department of Human Anatomy, Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Nairobi, Kenya and as an attending clinician at the Nairobi IVF centre. Additionally, he works for the Preterm Birth Initiative- University of California in San Francisco. He is a clinician and scientist with 12 years’ experience with basic science training in Anatomy and clinical training in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is keen in implementing the tenets of translational Science in Africa focused on reproductive vascular biology, reproductive medicine, complicated pregnancies, placentation, stem cell biology, embryology, genetics, innovative laparoscopic skills and science of metabolic disorders in reproductive biology.