FIGO International Workshop held at the FIGO Executive Board meeting, June 2010

The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) outlines clearly in its Mission Statement that it will work toward advancing the science and practice of obstetrics and gynecology, pursuing this aim through research, education, and training. A FIGO International Workshop entitled “Challenges in women's health: Evidence-based practices” was held prior to the FIGO Executive Board meeting in Tanzania in June 2010. The Workshop was organized by the Association of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians of Tanzania (AGOTA) with support from the FIGO Committee for Capacity Building in Education and Training. The Tanzanian First Lady, Mama Salma Kikwete, attended the opening session and addressed the meeting by stressing the importance of well-trained professionals working in well-equipped environments; this is the most critical intervention initiative necessary for the promotion of safe pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn babies. The high-profile Workshop was well attended, with over 200 participants from 30 countries, including: FIGO Executive Board members; AGOTA members; Reproductive, Newborn, Child, and Maternal Health stakeholders from all regions of Tanzania; representatives from sister organizations in the East African Community (EAC); and representatives from development partner organizations in Tanzania. It was noted that, because of the shortage of human resources in the health sector, some facilities were operating at about 30% of the required capacity had there been enough skilled staff. There were also significant shortages in lower-level health facilities that serve the majority of Tanzanians, especially in rural areas. The program of the Workshop included several presentations highlighting evidence-based practices, with emphasis on maternal and newborn health. Hope was expressed that FIGO would increase its ties with AGOTA and other development partners working in Tanzania to help reduce maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. In fact, FIGO is already negotiating with Pathfinder International for funding that will be channeled for capacity building in AGOTA. This will help the association improve its efforts in the fight against maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity. A focus on education and training highlights an important aim of FIGO. One of the most crucial objectives of the organization is to enable capacity building of human resources, and it was for this reason that the Committee for Capacity Building in Education and Training was formed. This specialist group, in turn, contributes to one of the overall missions of FIGO: to advance the practice of obstetrics and gynecology. The Committee for Capacity Building in Education and Training has been implementing—and continuously evaluating and improving—a substantial workshop program. Many events have already been organized, in places such as Casablanca, Jakarta, Caracas, Cairo, Barcelona, Munich, Tunisia, and Kuwait, to cover a host of education and training issues within maternal and newborn health, as well as within reproductive health, with special focus on family planning, community-based activities, HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted infections. To provide leadership in the educational and training activities of FIGO. To promote the educational objectives of FIGO in the field of women's sexual and reproductive health and rights. To share the values of FIGO of innovative leadership, integrity, transparency, professionalism, respect for cultural diversity, and high scientific and ethical standards. To ensure that training is accompanied by an improvement in women's health, evaluated by appropriate indicators. To work with FIGO's member societies to enhance educational and training capabilities. To upgrade the practice of obstetrics and gynecology through education and training. The Committee members are the Chairs of the FIGO standing committees, and are able, therefore, to coordinate activities across all areas of reproductive, maternal, and newborn health. Over a 5-year period, the Maternal and Newborn Health Initiative—funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation—hopes to enable member associations to have a catalytic role in making positive changes in policy and practice, and improve maternal and newborn health services for underserved populations. Although the importance of national health professional organizations in tackling maternal mortality in low-resource countries has been noted, it could be argued that insufficient consideration has been given to the readiness and capacity of these organizations to take on this role. This project will help to address this, allowing FIGO and its member associations—in 15 African and Asian countries—to work more effectively toward saving the lives of mothers and newborns. Following FIGO's commissioned studies on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH), workshops—funded by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)—have already taken place in Bangalore, Khartoum, Istanbul, and Santiago to enable professionals to discuss ways in which to increase national societies’ capacity to have a major role in advocacy, training, policy development, and reproductive health programs. The Saving Mothers and Newborns project—funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)—is at work in 10 countries, building and sustaining the capacity of the ob/gyn and midwifery societies in these participating low-resource countries to conduct essential projects relevant to the promotion of safe motherhood and the improvement of maternal health. The project will conclude by the end of 2011. The Prevention of Unsafe Abortion project—funded by an anonymous donor—is nearing completion of its final phase in 43 countries, mainly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The conducting of situational analysis and the holding of workshops, both nationally and regionally, to formulate action plans are the major outcomes of the final phase. The next step will be to encourage working with stakeholders to implement the national work plans. The FIGO initiative on obstetric fistula—aimed at the prevention and improvement of training for the management of obstetric fistula—is the focus of a special FIGO project funded by the UNFPA. The development of a competency-based training manual addressing both the prevention and the treatment of this debilitating condition has been the first step. It has been piloted and is now ready to be finalized for distribution to designated training centers. The strategic plan for FIGO over the next 3 years is to consolidate its recent achievements in the expansion of its programmatic activities, especially in the areas of support to member associations in low- and middle-resource countries in the sphere of capacity strengthening, as well as education and training. This will be supported by further strengthening of FIGO managerial and financial systems, and an appropriate advocacy strategy to improve policies and practice in women's health globally.