Helena Litorp

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About me

....
With a background as a specialist physician in ob/gyn, I have both clinical
as well as research experience from several low-resource settings including
Tanzania, Nepal and Somaliland, and a special interest in emergency obstetric
care, innovations and quality improvement implementation. Apart from my
position at KI as Associate Professor in global health, I work as a Clinical
Research Physician and Chief Medical Officer at a CRO specialized in clinical
trials.
....
2006: MD, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
2015: PhD Medical sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden
2016: Specialist physician ob/gyn, National Board of Health and Welfare,
Sweden
2022: Associate professor global health, Karolinska Institutet

Research

....
My main research focus is on maternal and newborn health and sexual and
reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in low-income countries. Prior and
current research project include:
* 2006-2008: Female genital cutting among antenatal care attendees in Sweden
* 2010-2015: Overuse of caesarean section and its association with maternal
near-miss morbidity and mortality in Tanzania
* 2017-2020: Quality improvement interventions for improved perinatal care
in Nepal (NePeriQIP)
* 2019-Ongoing: Implementation of the maternal near-miss tool in the fragile
setting of Somaliland
* 2019-Ongoing: Scaling up low-cost technology for improved intrapartum
fetal surveillance and neonatal resuscitation in Nepal (SUSTAIN)
* 2019-Ongoing: Norms and values as barriers and enabler for improved global
sexual and reproductive health and rights in multiple sub-Saharan African
countries
* 2020-Ongoing: Feasibility of remote General Movements Assessment for early
recognition of Cerebral Palsy in Nepal

Articles

Article: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES. 2024;196:106742
Regional lung targeting with a fluticasone/salmeterol aerosol using a bolus breath hold method of the PreciseInhale® system: A first evaluation in humans
Gerde P; Sjoberg C-O; Backroos H; Englund J; Wangheim M; Litorp H
Article: SOCIAL SCIENCE AND MEDICINE. 2024;348:116777
Armed conflict, insecurity, and attitudes toward women's and girls' reproductive autonomy in Nigeria
Svallfors S; Bage K; Ekstrom AM; Elimian K; Gayawan E; Litorp H; Kagesten A
Article: BMJ OPEN. 2024;14(3):e080063
NeuroMotion smartphone application for remote General Movements Assessment: a feasibility study in Nepal
Kukka AJ; Sundelin HEK; Basnet O; Paudel P; Upadhyay Subedi K; Svensson K; Brown N; Litorp H; Gurung R; Bhattarai P; Wrammert J; Ashish KC
Article: GLOBAL HEALTH ACTION. 2023;16(1):2207862
Association between delayed cesarean section and severe maternal and adverse newborn outcomes in the Somaliland context: a cohort study in a national referral hospital
Kiruja J; Osman F; Egal JA; Klingberg-Allvin M; Litorp H
Article: BIRTH. 2023;50(3):616-626
Improved obstetric management after implementation of a scaled-up quality improvement intervention: A nested before-after study in three public hospitals in Nepal
Litorp H; Malqvist M; Sunny AK; Gurung A; Gurung R; Ashish KC
Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GYNECOLOGY AND OBSTETRICS. 2022;159(3):856-864
Incidence and causes of severe maternal outcomes in Somaliland using the sub-Saharan Africa maternal near-miss criteria: A prospective cross-sectional study in a national referral hospital
Egal JA; Kiruja J; Litorp H; Osman F; Erlandsson K; Klingberg-Allvin M
Article: OBESITY. 2022;30(11):2222-2232
Effects of a novel weight-loss combination product containing orlistat and acarbose on obesity: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial
Holmback U; Gruden S; Litorp H; Willhems D; Kuusk S; Alderborn G; Soderhall A; Forslund A
Article: PLOS ONE. 2022;17(8):e0272708
Gender norms and women's empowerment as barriers to facility birth: A population-based cross-sectional study in 26 Nigerian states using the World Values Survey
Litorp H; Kagesten A; Bage K; Uthman O; Nordenstedt H; Fagbemi M; Puranen B; Ekstrom A-M
Article: ACTA OBSTETRICIA ET GYNECOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA. 2021;100(4):684-693
Augmentation of labor with oxytocin and its association with delivery outcomes: A large-scale cohort study in 12 public hospitals in Nepal
Litorp H; Sunny AK; Kc A
Article: REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH. 2020;17(1):197
Disclosing suboptimal indications for emergency caesarean sections due to fetal distress and prolonged labor: a multicenter cross-sectional study at 12 public hospitals in Nepal
Litorp H; Gurung R; Malqvist M; Kc A
Article: SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE. 2020;25:100533
Low use of vacuum extraction: Health care Professionals' Perspective in a University Hospital, Dar es Salaam.
Makokha-Sandell H; Mgaya A; Belachew J; Litorp H; Hussein K; Essén B
Article: BIRTH. 2020;47(1):80-88
Coverage, associated factors, and impact of companionship during labor: A large-scale observational study in six hospitals in Nepal
Ashish KC; Axelin A; Litorp H; Tinkari BS; Sunny AK; Curung R
Article: ACTA OBSTETRICIA ET GYNECOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA. 2020;99(3):303-311
The burden of and factors associated with misclassification of intrapartum stillbirth: Evidence from a large scale multicentric observational study
Ashish KC; Berkelhamer S; Gurung R; Hong Z; Wang H; Sunny AK; Bhattarai P; Poudel PG; Litorp H
Article: EMERGENCY MEDICINE INTERNATIONAL. 2020;2020:4819805-6
Vital Signs Directed Therapy for the Critically Ill: Improved Adherence to the Treatment Protocol Two Years after Implementation in an Intensive Care Unit in Tanzania
Hvarfner A; Blixt J; Schell CO; Castegren M; Lugazia ER; Mulungu M; Litorp H; Baker T
Article: PLOS MEDICINE. 2019;16(9):e1002900
Effect of a scaled-up neonatal resuscitation quality improvement package on intrapartum-related mortality in Nepal: A stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial.
Kc A; Ewald U; Basnet O; Gurung A; Pyakuryal SN; Jha BK; Bergström A; Eriksson L; Paudel P; Karki S; Gajurel S; Brunell O; Wrammert J; Litorp H; Målqvist M
Article: IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE. 2019;14(1):65
Scaling Up Safer Birth Bundle Through Quality Improvement in Nepal (SUSTAIN)-a stepped wedge cluster randomized controlled trial in public hospitals.
Gurung R; Jha AK; Pyakurel S; Gurung A; Litorp H; Wrammert J; Jha BK; Paudel P; Rahman SM; Malla H; Sharma S; Gautam M; Linde JE; Moinuddin M; Ewald U; Målqvist M; Axelin A; Kc A
Article: BMJ GLOBAL HEALTH. 2019;4(6):e001936
The burden of misclassification of antepartum stillbirth in Nepal
Gurung R; Litorp H; Berkelhamer S; Zhou H; Tinkari BS; Paudel P; Malla H; Sharma S; Ashish KC
Article: BMJ GLOBAL HEALTH. 2017;2(3):e000497
Scaling up quality improvement intervention for perinatal care in Nepal (NePeriQIP); study protocol of a cluster randomised trial.
Kc A; Bergström A; Chaulagain D; Brunell O; Ewald U; Gurung A; Eriksson L; Litorp H; Wrammert J; Grönqvist E; Edin P-A; Le Grange C; Lamichhane B; Shrestha P; Pokharel A; Pun A; Singh C; Målqvist M
Article: BMC PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH. 2016;16(1):343
Criteria-based audit to improve quality of care of foetal distress: standardising obstetric care at a national referral hospital in a low resource setting, Tanzania.
Mgaya AH; Litorp H; Kidanto HL; Nyström L; Essén B
Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GYNECOLOGY AND OBSTETRICS. 2016;133(2):183-187
The effects of previous cesarean deliveries on severe maternal and adverse perinatal outcomes at a university hospital in Tanzania.
Litorp H; Rööst M; Kidanto HL; Nyström L; Essén B
Article: SOCIAL SCIENCE AND MEDICINE. 2015;143:232-240
Fear, blame and transparency: Obstetric caregivers' rationales for high caesarean section rates in a low-resource setting.
Litorp H; Mgaya A; Mbekenga CK; Kidanto HL; Johnsdotter S; Essén B
Article: MIDWIFERY. 2015;31(7):713-720
'What about the mother?' Women's and caregivers' perspectives on caesarean birth in a low-resource setting with rising caesarean section rates.
Litorp H; Mgaya A; Kidanto HL; Johnsdotter S; Essén B
Article: BMC PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH. 2014;14:244
Maternal near-miss and death and their association with caesarean section complications: a cross-sectional study at a university hospital and a regional hospital in Tanzania.
Litorp H; Kidanto HL; Rööst M; Abeid M; Nyström L; Essén B
Article: BMC PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH. 2013;13:107
Increasing caesarean section rates among low-risk groups: a panel study classifying deliveries according to Robson at a university hospital in Tanzania.
Litorp H; Kidanto HL; Nystrom L; Darj E; Essén B
Article: ACTA OBSTETRICIA ET GYNECOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA. 2008;87(7):716-722
Female genital mutilation among antenatal care and contraceptive advice attendees in Sweden
Litorp H; Franck M; Almroth L
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All other publications

Review: BMJ GLOBAL HEALTH. 2022;7(12):e010294
Incidence and outcomes of intrapartum-related neonatal encephalopathy in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Kukka AJ; Waheddoost S; Brown N; Litorp H; Wrammert J; Ashish KC
Editorial comment: BMJ GLOBAL HEALTH. 2022;7(6):e008520
Addressing the second 'R' in sexual and reproductive health and rights: why norms and values matter for development cooperation
Sundewall J; Bage K; Ekstrom AM; Puranen B; Litorp H; Uthman OA; Kagesten A

Employments

Affiliated to Research, Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, 2024-2025
Assistant Professor, Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, 2020-2024

Degrees and Education

Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 2022
University Medical Degree, Karolinska Institutet, 2006

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