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UD professor, wife reaching out to Ethiopians

Peter Gooch has joined his wife’s efforts to fight cancer in the country.

University of Dayton associate art professor Peter Gooch and his wife, Sharon Ransom, have traveled to Ethiopia twice in recent years. He was gathering images for two visual art exhibits; and his wife was promoting reproductive health programs in Ethiopia. Pictured above, a woman sells onions at a market in Ethiopia.

Contributed photo by Peter Gooch University of Dayton associate art professor Peter Gooch and his wife, Sharon Ransom, have traveled to Ethiopia twice in recent years. He was gathering images for two visual art exhibits; and his wife was promoting reproductive health programs in Ethiopia. Pictured above, a woman sells onions at a market in Ethiopia.

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By Pamela Dillon, Contributing Writer 7:41 PM Friday, November 18, 2011

University of Dayton associate art professor Peter Gooch and his wife, Sharon Ransom, spent over seven weeks in sub-Saharan Africa in two trips in 2008 and 2009. He was gathering images for two visual art exhibits; she was promoting reproductive health programs in Ethiopia. They returned for a two-month sabbatical in August. It was her sixth visit since 2000, and his third in just a few years.

What is the continuous pull to visit this poor, landlocked country of 82 million people? For Gooch, it is its natural and historical beauty. He studied the 17th century fresco at the monastery of Narga Selassie. For Ransom, it is the beauty of a welcoming country partnering for the health of its women.

“Both Sharon and I share a fascination with the unique Christian tradition in Ethiopia. On all our visits, we have spent substantial time investigating the sacred sites scattered around the country,” Gooch said. “One of the great things about the country is the melding of many spiritual traditions.”

There is one tradition that Ethiopians would rather change: cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality among its women. Of the 7,600 that are diagnosed yearly with the disease, approximately 6,000 die.

According to a recent U.S. Global Health Initiative, a single screening at age 35 can reduce a woman’s lifetime risk of cervical cancer by 25 percent. If screened again by age 40, then that risk is reduced by 65 percent.

In addition, Ethiopia has a severe lack of trained health-care personnel, cultural bias against women, and insufficient medical equipment and supplies.

Ransom founded the International Partnership for Reproductive Health, a nongovernmental organization in Kettering, in 2007. Gooch joined as director for planning for the organization in 2009. Its mission is to partner with public and private sectors to implement cervical cancer screenings and treatment programs in Ethiopia.

“Cancer prevention and treatment is my passion,” Ransom said. “Policymakers and medical practitioners must always remember that behind all the statistics and bar-graphs stands a real woman whose health is in jeopardy, and every woman matters.”

Ransom was invited to speak at the First Global Summit on Women’s Cancers in Africa on Sept. 1-2 at the United Nations Conference Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It featured addresses by Princess Nikky Onyeri of Nigeria, along with the first ladies of Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

In addition, Princess Lalla Meryem, first lady of Morocco; and Queen Nomsa LaMatsebula, first lady of Swaziland, addressed the audience. The American Cancer Society was a leading partner at this conference that was sponsored by the Princess Nikky Foundation.

Ransom addressed “Cervical Cancer Screening in Ethiopia — Every Woman Matters,” based on her research at Sister Aklesia Memorial Hospital in Adama. There were more than 400 people at the conference.

Gooch is on leave of absence from the university, and they are living in New Zealand, where Ransom is also working at Southland District Hospital in Invercargill.

“Working with the women of Ethiopia has been one of the most rewarding and enlightening experiences in my medical career,” said Ransom, who received her medical training at Michigan State University. “Both the country and its people have enriched my life beyond measure.”

Besides cervical cancer screenings, the International Partnership for Reproductive Health conducts seminars in colposcopy, cryotherapy and LEEP procedures. Ransom trained a small group of nurses in colposcopy and advanced screening techniques in 2009.

IPRH also promotes cervical cancer awareness/education and donates medical equipment and supplies to partner health-care organizations.

In fact, Ransom and Gooch delivered and installed two cryosurgical units in September at Sister Aklesia Memorial Hospital in Adama that were donated by U.S. manufacturers. So far, about $50,000 worth of equipment and instruments have been delivered.

“It’s important that neither Sharon nor I claim to be experts on Ethiopia,” Gooch said. “There are many whose experience and understanding exceeds ours by a significant margin. Among those I’m aware of are Dr. Messay Kebede, a political philosopher at U.D., and Dr. Andy Carlson of Yellow Springs.”

An IPRH Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment Center is planned for Adama in 2012.

“Sharon and I consider ourselves indeed fortunate to be able to participate in the larger struggle against women’s cancers in Africa, and to do so in a spectacularly beautiful setting. Ethiopia is a country that we have come to love,” Gooch said.

Contact contributing writer Pamela Dillon at pamdillon@woh.rr.com.

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