Profile photo Regien Biesma

Regien Biesma

Associate Professor

Research groups

Global Maternal and Child Health

Research aim

Preventable maternal, newborn and child mortality and morbidity remain unacceptably high in many parts of the world. Inequities in access to quality, respectful and affordable care persist across and within countries, particularly for women, newborns, children and marginalized populations. Global Maternal and Child Health at Utrecht Life Sciences brings together researchers, educators, clinicians and societal partners to generate evidence and innovations that improve pregnancy, birth and early-life outcomes. We work across the continuum from discovery and clinical research to implementation science, health systems strengthening and policy translation, with a strong emphasis on equitable partnerships and capacity strengthening.

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Health equity

Research aim

This research group aims to contribute to health equity from an ethical and epidemiological perspective. We identify and explain health inequalities and ethically evaluate whether identified health inequalities also lead to health inequity.

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Recent publications

Women's empowerment and nutritional status of children Saira Parveen Jolly, Jurjen van der Schans, Robert Lensink, Kaosar Afsana, Md Atiqul Islam, Regien Biesma
Public Health Nutrition, 2026, vol. 29
Psychosocial determinants of contraceptive desire and use among sexually-active adolescent girls in Kenya and Nigeria Abednego Musau, Sophie Schlingemann, Roselyn Odeh, Lydiah Ndungu, Alhassan Bulama, Harmon Momanyi, Meghan Cutherell, Albert Tele, Regien Biesma, Jelle Stekelenburg
Contraception and Reproductive Medicine, 2025, vol. 11
Magnitude of catastrophic health expenditure and its determinants among cancer patients in low and middle-income countries Abdene Weya Kaso, Ashenafi Habtamu Regesu, Hiluf Kalayou Haftu, Gebi Agero, Gebi Husein Jima, Taha Kaso, Alemayehu Hailu, Regien Biesma, Jelle Stekelenburg
BMC Health Services Research, 2025, vol. 25
Predicting total body water in infants aged 0.5–24 months and the implications for measuring breast milk intake Marieke AJ de Sévaux, Pernille Kæstel, Hinke Haisma, Teresa HM da Costa, Adriana Vázquez-Vázquez, Tinku Thomas, Regien Biesma, Rebecca Kuriyan, Grace Munthali, Aly Diana, Ina S. Santos, Andrew P. Hills, V. Pujitha Wickramasinghe, Shabina Ariff, M. Nishani Lucas, Caroline S. Costa, Shane A. Norris, Vandana Jain, Helen Mulol, Ute Feucht, Birna Thorisdottir, Inga Thorsdottir, Peter SW Davies, Cornelia U. Loechl, Jonathan CK Wells
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2025, vol. 122, p.820-829
Optimizing maternal health facility locations in Ethiopia Sisay Mulugeta Alemu, Gerd Weitkamp, Abera Kenay Tura, Jelle Stekelenburg, Regien Biesma
Journal of Transport Geography, 2025, vol. 125
Maternal and perinatal mortality Sisay Mulugeta Alemu, Gerd Weitkamp, Abera Kenay Tura, Kerry Lm Wong, Jelle Stekelenburg, Regien Biesma
Health policy and planning, 2025, vol. 40, p.358-367