What Is The Invention Of Fe Del Mundo?

Fe Del Mundo is best known for her pioneering work on infectious diseases in Philippine communities. Even with the lack of good equipment that was available to her in the region, she sent the blood samples that she wanted to study abroad in order to get the results.

Del Mundo's studies of the disease dengue fever led to a much better understanding of how it affected young children and led to the development of effective treatment. With over a hundred articles written about diseases affecting children in the Philippines, she is one of the most honored pediatricians in the region, and across the world

• Fe Del Mundo's education

Del Mundo decided to begin her studies towards becoming a doctor for the poor after her younger sister died of appendicitis at the age of 11. She enrolled at the University of the Philippines and gained a degree in medicine. She passed the medical board exams in the same year and decided that she wanted to specialize in paediatrics.

In 1936 she became the first woman to attend Harvard Medical School, it has also been debated that she was the first person to attend from the Philippines and possibly the first Asian to enroll at the school. After completing three pediatric courses she began residency at the Billings Hospital of the University of Chicago.

• Fe Del Mundo's medical practice

In 1941 Del Mundo returned to the Philippines to volunteer as a carer for child internees. She set up a makeshift hospice and treated children within the camp. She was then moved to a children's hospital set up by the government. Del Mundo became frustrated by the restraints of working for a government hospital and decided to set up her own pediatric hospital. The Children's Medical Center was the first of its kind in the Philippines but it suffered major financial losses throughout its existence.

While Fe Del Mundo may not have created an invention, as such, she is renowned for her pioneering work within pediatrics.