Published October 14, 2008, last updated on March 7, 2013
Prepare to move your feet for a good cause on February 28, 2009.
Duke’s Department of Ob/Gyn is planning their second annual Blue Jean Ball to raise money to improve the health of women in low-resource settings worldwide.
“The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology has a commitment to Global Women’s Health,” says Haywood Brown, MD, chair of the department.
An example of this commitment is the departments involvement in the Duke Global Health Residency program. Brandi Vasquez, MD, a member of Duke’s first class of Global Health Residents, is currently in Moshi, Tanzania, working with Dr. Jeff Wilkinson on the newly created Duke-KCMC Women’s Health partnership.
“In Tanzania, a woman is over 100 times more likely to die as a result of childbirth than a woman in the USA,” says Alice Cooper, a nurse practitioner who is helping to plan the event. “Many suffer from a childbirth injury called Obstetric Fistula which causes unrelenting leakage of urine and social isolation. The Duke team in Moshi are assisting the local doctors in their efforts to reduce maternal deaths and childbirth injury.”
The 2009 Blue Jean Ball will include a silent auction, live auction, updates from the onsite team in Tanzania, dinner, and dancing at the Hilton Hotel on Hillsborough Road.
“The response to the Blue Jean Ball last year was spectacular,” says Cooper. “We want to do even more this year to support these wonderful programs and to raise awareness of the plight of women globally and locally.”
For details on the Blue Jean Ball, including ticket prices and opportunities to make a difference with your time, talents or resources, visit http://bluejeanball.mc.duke.edu
