One Week to Go...

It's hard to believe that I leave for Tanzania a week from today. It still feels like I'm learning about this internship, not about to depart on it. That's probably because I only decided to go six weeks ago!

I'm going to Tanzania to work on one of my professor's projects: Assessment of Postpartum Hemorrhage and Use of Misoprostol. 99% of maternal deaths occur in the developing world, and most of these deaths are caused by excessive bleeding after childbirth, or postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). Misoprostol is a drug that makes the uterus contract, and can be used to either treat or prevent PPH. Since it is relatively inexpensive, stable in field conditions, and does not need to be administered by a health worker, it's ideal for resource-poor settings such as rural Tanzania. Misoprostol has been used for a few years in the region, and along with a fellow intern I will be conducting questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and focus groups with women who have used misoprostol, traditional birth attendants (who have been delivering the drug), and doctors/midwives to learn more about how misoprostol is viewed in the community and by women who have taken it, it's effect on maternal mortality, and barriers to its use.

I'm very excited for this opportunity - it will be my first time working out in the field, which I think will be a wonderful complement to all that I have learned this year. It's going to be an amazing, challenging summer!

I hope you enjoy following my summer in Kigoma, Tanzania through this blog, and please send me emails and comments so I don't feel lonely!