Given the current humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, it is important to travel grantee Dr Inessa Safonova to bring knowledge and experience back to Ukraine for the women in need.
Dr Safonova, a professor of radiology from Kharkiv, and the ISUOG Ambassador for Eastern Europe, has been awarded a travel grant for this year’s ISUOG World Congress. She will be presenting her abstract ‘Uterine fibroid with massive cystic hydropic degeneration: pre-surgical ultrasound diagnosis and surgical correlations’ on Congress day two.
Dr Safonova said: “Being awarded the ISUOG travel grant means a lot to me. It’s not just recognition of the research I’ve been doing for years, but also a chance to represent Eastern Europe — especially Ukraine — on a global stage.”
The ISUOG travel grant enables researchers from underserved regions the opportunity to attend the World Congress – to network and to learn. The travel grants are a crucial part of ISUOG’s mission – for every woman in the world to have access to ultrasound, that every scan provider is competent and that the diagnosis of obstetric and gynecologic conditions is effective so that women’s health outcomes improve.
With many regions across the globe, including Ukraine, experiencing conflict at present, this mission is particularly pertinent. There have been close to 2,000 attacks on healthcare facilities in Ukraine and many women have not had access to doctors since the war began three years ago. [1]
The Ukrainian healthcare system has come under a huge strain during the war with Russia. Studies show that women often bear a disproportionate burden of war. In Ukraine, women have suffered from the collapse of vital systems that support their health and wellbeing, with detection of ovarian and cervical cancers on the decline.
Dr Safonova said: “Sharing knowledge, learning from others, and bringing that experience back home feels especially important right now, given the challenges we face.”
Read more on the situation in Ukraine for women in need of obstetric and gynecological services here.
[1] The doctor fighting for women's health on Ukraine's front line - BBC News