Bjarne Rønde Kristensen is a medical doctor from the University of Copenhagen with extensive experience in gynaecology and obstetrics. He has worked as a department head and chief physician at three major hospitals in Denmark for almost 20 years: Odense University Hospital (OUH), Aarhus University Hospital and Svendborg Hospital. He has also directed medical education at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU). He is also associate professor at SDU, head of the Sexual Assault Care Centre at SDU and secretary general of the Nordic Society for Sexual Assault Care Centres (NordSAC).
His clinical expertise includes gynaecological surgery, minimally invasive procedures such as laparoscopy, and promoting education and training in the care and treatment of sexual assault victims.
Dr Kristensen's journey in global health began with a collaboration between Odense University Hospital and the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Tanzania. For the past 12-14 years he has been heavily involved in clinical work, training programmes and capacity building initiatives in Tanzania. His work has included training doctors, midwives and nurses through an exchange programme between hospitals in Denmark and Tanzania, teaching how to perform surgery for cervical and endometrial cancer, and expanding access to laparoscopic surgery by providing training and medical equipment.
He also helped set up a public fertility clinic at the Kilimanjaro Clinic in Tanzania.
In addition to his work in Africa, Dr Kristensen has been actively involved in Greenland, focusing on the development of sexual assault services. He has played a key role in establishing partnerships between hospitals, police and psychologists to improve support for victims of sexual violence.
His motivation for global health stems from a lifelong interest in addressing health inequalities. Trained in a resource-rich Nordic country, he is committed to bringing his expertise to regions where medical care is less accessible.
Bjarne Rønde Kristensen is also a founding member of the Nordic Scientific Society, which brings together professionals from across the Nordic countries and Estonia to collaborate on issues related to gynaecology, sexual assault care and medical education.
As an advocate for medical education, Associate Professor Rønde Kristensen has been instrumental in facilitating opportunities for SDU students to gain knowledge in medical and global health. His initiative in Greenland aims to provide clinical training in gynaecology, obstetrics and sexual assault care; to promote research opportunities in Greenland, particularly in gynaecology and obstetrics, where there is currently limited academic work; and to expand SDU's international collaborations in medical education.
Despite the challenges of securing funding, Dr Kristensen remains optimistic about the potential for expanding clinical education and research opportunities in Greenland and beyond.
