Mailman School of Public Health Faculty Member and Leading Emergency Reproductive Care Advocate Dr. Grace Kodindo featured in BBC Documentary "Grace Under Fire"
September 10, 2009 -- Dr. Grace Kodindo, Chadian OBGYN and assistant clinical professor of Population and Family Health at the Mailman School of Public Health, has fought to save lives in ill-equipped maternity wards in her native Chad in Central Africa for many years. While Dr. Kodindo has treated women suffering the effects of neglect, her experiences never prepared her for the real life stories of inhumanity, lack of critical reproductive health care, and sexual violence she hears from those caught up in the long running conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) featured in the BBC documentary Grace Under Fire.
The documentary follows Dr. Kodindo, a leading advocate for women’s reproductive health and rights as she explores what help is available for the men, women and children affected by the fighting in the DRC, described as one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman. Women in sub-Saharan Africa have a one in 13 lifetime chance of dying in pregnancy and childbirth.
“Where to even begin ending the suffering?” asks Dr. Kodindo after visiting clinics and meeting doctors, nurses and survivors across the region. “By far the biggest casualties of this conflict are civilians – not the fighters. And the women and children suffer the most. Reproductive healthcare must be seen as a frontline priority – not something to think about only after the fighting is over.”
Her work has been honored previously by the international community and featured in the BBC documentary Dead Mums Don’t Cry. The film followed Dr. Kodindo’s work as the head of the primary maternity hospital in Chad in 2005, where she struggled to preserve women’s lives in the face of profound poverty, a dearth of supplies, and minimal government support.
To view an extended clip of the documentary Grace Under Fire by BBC World News visit: http://www.tve.org/lifeonline
Grace Under Fire was produced by TVE (Television Trust for the Environment) and is a collaborative effort of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Health Organization, the Reproductive Health Access, Information and Services in Emergencies (RAISE) Initiative, Care International, and the International Rescue Committee. RAISE, managed by the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Marie Stopes International, works to ensure reproductive healthcare in situations of conflict and disaster. Dr. Kodindo currently works as the Medical and Advocacy Advisor for the RAISE Initiative.
About the Mailman School of Public Health
The only accredited school of public health in New York City and among the first in the nation, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health pursues an agenda of research, education, and service to address the critical and complex public health issues affecting millions of people locally and globally. The Mailman School is the recipient of some of the largest government and private grants in Columbia University’s history. Its more than 1000 graduate students pursue master’s and doctoral degrees, and the School’s 300 multi-disciplinary faculty members work in more than 100 countries around the world, addressing such issues as infectious and chronic diseases, health promotion and disease prevention, environmental health, maternal and child health, health over the life course, health policy, and public health preparedness. www.mailman.columbia.edu
Dr. Grace Kodindo, Chadian OBGYN and assistant clinical professor of Population and Family Health