Seminar Series: Dr. Margaret Mutumba Nakalembe

Future Proof: How medical technological innovation is solving health equity in a global context

Margaret Mutumba Nakalembe

Program Director
Frugal Biomedical Innovations
School of Biomedical Engineering
Western University

Adjunct Research Professor
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Western University

Short Biography:
Dr. Margaret Mutumba is a global health scholar-advocate and health innovator with over a decade of experience in global health innovation, reproductive & fertility health in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Mutumba is the Program Director, Frugal Biomedical Innovations at Western; an innovative initiative aimed at co-developing and implementing culturally appropriate and affordable medical devices & technologies that address the healthcare needs of remote communities in Canada and low-resource contexts in Africa. She is also the WHO consultant for Human Reproduction and led successful initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa focused on reduction of maternal mortality, youth impacted by the HIV epidemic, reproductive rights advocacy and more recently, affordable, and accessible fertility care in Sub-Saharan Africa through awareness, research, and digital health solutions.

Abstract:
In today's world, it remains surprising that half of the global population lacks access to essential healthcare services or lifesaving technologies taken for granted in North America. In fact, 79% of global medical device use occurs in only 13% of the world's population. Within Canada, many remote communities experience greater rates of treatable mortality when compared to people living in cities due distance, cost and historical injustices. In low-resource contexts, access to care is cofounded by a myriad of factors including geographic and environmental factors, underdeveloped infrastructure, societal & cultural beliefs, historical unjustness and resource limitations. Medical technological innovation, specifically, frugal innovations, have the potential to solve healthcare inequities by prioritizing the co-creation and development of affordable and culturally suitable medical devices that meet the unique needs of these unique contexts. This presentation will draw upon my experience as a health researcher and innovator (co-founder of MedAtlas) and Program Director of Western's Frugal Biomedical Innovations program, championing collaborative, locally led, health innovation to solve community identified needs in remote and low-resource communities.

Keywords: 
Global Health, Health Technology & Innovation, Reproductive & Fertility Health, Health Equity, Implementation Science, Remote or low-resource contexts

Date: Friday, November 8
Time: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Location: PHFM 3015 (Western Centre for Public Health and Family Medicine)