8. Bridging the Gap for HER Health
Richard Vanderburg, Chief Program Officer of Wine to Water
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Have you ever wondered how health statistics are taken in the most rural parts of the world? Journal articles discuss how hundreds of thousands of women are diagnosed with and dying from cervical cancer, but just how accurate are these statistics?
This episode is all about women's health in low and middle income countries, cervical cancer statistics, and the important work she does in the medtech and philanthropy sectors. We talk about Marissa's background and how HerHealthEQ was founded (in a bar!). HerHEalthEQ is a nonprofit that aims to improve women's health outcomes by providing medical equipment to developing regions around the world.
Marissa explains how HerHealthEQ carefully selects their partners and distributes medical equipment to regions in need while emphasizing the importance of providing not just equipment but also service contracts, training, and installation. As HerHealthEQ grows and continues to serve women and girls worldwide, we realize just how important partnerships are in creating impact at scale.
In this Episode, We Cover:
Global Cervical Cancer Statistics [00:00:01] The host discusses the global statistics of cervical cancer, its prevalence in low and middle-income countries, and questions the reliability of the numbers.
Introduction of Marissa Fayer [00:01:08] The host introduces Marissa Fayer, founder and CEO of Her Health EQ, and highlights her achievements in the medtech and philanthropy sectors.
Marissa Fayer's Background and Her Health EQ [00:02:55] Marissa Fayer talks about her background as an engineer in the medtech industry, her burnout, and the founding of Her Health EQ, a nonprofit that provides essential medical equipment to women in developing regions.
The Genesis of Her Health EQ [00:08:24] Marissa Fayer talks about the founding of Her Health EQ, a nonprofit that provides medical equipment to developing regions around the world.
Non-Communicable Diseases Affecting Women [00:11:05] Marissa Fayer discusses the non-communicable diseases that affect women in lower middle income countries, such as heart disease, maternal health, and various cancers.
Frequency of Women's Health Screenings [00:13:23] Marissa Fayer explains the frequency of women's health screenings in low and middle income countries, and the lack of access to screening options for diseases such as cervical and breast cancer.
Elusive cervical cancer screening [00:17:30] Discussion on the challenges of cervical cancer screening in low socioeconomic regions, with statistics on screening coverage in southern Africa.
Accessibility and service of medical equipment [00:19:02] Marissa Fayer explains the importance of accessible and serviceable medical equipment, and the multi-year service contracts provided by Her Health EQ.
Partnering with clinics and screening protocol [00:23:23] The process of targeting specific clinics for equipment donations, including a screening protocol to ensure the clinics value and will take care of the equipment.
Building partnerships [00:24:18] Marissa discusses how Her Health EQ builds partnerships with other organizations and nonprofits to provide medical equipment to developing regions.
Cervical cancer screening program [00:25:11] Marissa talks about the 10 for 10 program, which aims to provide cervical cancer screening in 10 different countries, and the need for partners in each country.
Sustainability in equipment purchasing [00:29:55] Marissa explains the importance of sustainability in equipment purchasing and how Her Health EQ partners with companies to provide older, but still effective, equipment to developing regions.
Logistics Partnership [00:32:06] Marissa discusses the value of partnering with UPS Humanitarian for logistics in shipping medical equipment to developing regions.
10 for 10 and Other Projects [00:34:32] Marissa talks about the 10 for 10 project, which aims to screen for cervical cancer in 10 different countries, and other projects related to maternal health, heart disease, and breast cancer screening.
Creating Opportunities for Women [00:37:35] Marissa explains how providing jobs and opportunities for women in developing regions can create a ripple effect of education and empowerment for future generations.
Prevention is key [00:40:06] Marissa emphasizes the importance of prevention in healthcare and how systematic screenings can be a better option than treatment devices.
Who is Marissa Fayer?
Marissa Fayer is the founder and CEO of HERhealthEQ, a nonprofit working to improve the health outcomes of women by providing essential medical equipment to developing regions around the world. A 22-year veteran of the medtech industry, was included among the “Top 100 Women in Medtech” by Medical Design & Outsourcing in 2018, a PeopleMaven’s Top Woman Activist to Watch, and a recipient of Africa Development Award in the same year. She currently serves on the board of Welwaze Medical and DeepLook Medical, which are focused on improving the diagnosis of breast cancer, and Ultrasound AI focused on preterm birth.
