New FIGO team sets the pace for2015–2018

In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | May 2016 1

International Federation ofGynecology and ObstetricsFFIIGGOOFIGOcommunications@figo.orgwww.figo.org May 2016

one FIGO Officer as an ‘Ex officio’ member toensure smooth coordination of work. All theseare fully functional.

In my inaugural speech I focused on:1) Reduction in maternal mortality2) Family planning3) Early detection and prevention of cancer of

the cervix and breast

FIGO’s efforts continue in great earnest, not onlytowards a reduction in maternal mortality, butalso a reduction in maternal morbidity, especiallythrough making an effort to deliver qualitymidwifery help in the rural areas of low-resourcecountries.

Through its Member Societies, FIGO is lobbyinglocal governments to establish methods andways of training to help improve midwifery care.

A higher profile for family planningThe main aim of family planning is to reducematernal mortality, providing full access to, andchoice of, contraception.

I have felt for a long time that the term ‘FamilyPlanning’ should be changed to ‘Contraceptionand Family Planning’, ensuring that a largeadolescent population is included. FIGO hasbeen at the forefront to help achieve improveduse of Long-Acting Reversible Contraception(LARC) availability, especially in countries needingit desperately.

Injectable contraception is receiving a majorboost in India, the largest populous democracy inthe world, which is a welcome development.

The new FIGO Officers’ Group 2015–2018: L–R: Rushwan, Purandare, Hale, Grenman, Di Renzo, Füchtner

First meeting of the FIGO Officers 2015-2018 | Rwanda and Uzbekistan join the FIGO family | New FIGO Committees and Working Groups take shape |

FIGO/Chien-Tien Hsu Fellows report on Congress 2015 experiencesINSIDE:

Dear FIGO ColleaguesGreetings to you all.

This is my first communication to the FIGOfraternity since 9 October 2015.

My promise to make FIGO a truly globalorganisation is illustrated by my invitingparticipation from each and every region of FIGO.

This will give it leverage to be looked at as theprincipal organisation catering to women’s healthand human rights issues globally.

To begin with, we have ensured that all FIGOCommittee and Working Group Chairs and theirmembers have global representation, withattention to gender, as well.

Each Committee and Working Group will have continued on page 2

New FIGO team sets the pace for 2015–2018continued from page 1

In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | May 20162

The FIGO Project for ‘Institutionalising Post-Partum IUD Services and Increasing Access toInformation and Education on Contraception andSafe Abortion Services’ has done commendablework in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Tanzania, Kenyaand Bangladesh, and will do hopefully in manymore countries to follow.

In January, I had the privilege of representingFIGO at the International Conference on FamilyPlanning in Bali, Indonesia, and interacted withmany international health ministers and donorssupporting this extremely important initiative.

FIGO has embarked on a new Working Group forContraception which met in London in March todraw up priorities in 20 countries with an urgentneed.

Let us hope that all our efforts help substantiallyin helping to achieve the FP2020 goal.

The challenges of cervical cancerFor our next initiative, we have established aWorking Group for preparing and executingstrategies for early detection and treatment ofbreast diseases.

Cervical cancer still remains a major killer inunderdeveloped countries where universalscreening is not available.

Prevention of cancer of the cervix with the HPVvaccine has been a difficulty due to the costinvolved, and we at FIGO are actively working tomake this available at affordable prices fromvarious quarters.

We are hoping that through pharmaceuticalsupport, international funding and local

Professor Purandare with Dr Huixia Yang, Chair, Organising Committee, Birth 2016 (Beijing, April 2016)

Professor Purandare with the IndianMinister of Health and Family Welfare,Mr J P Nadda (Fourth InternationalConference on Family Planning, Bali,January 2016)

Professor Purandare with His Excellency Dr KesetebirhanAdmasu, Minister of Health,Ethiopia (Fourth InternationalConference on Family Planning,Bali, January 2016)

Professor Purandare and the Chair of PMNCH,

Mrs Graça Machel, at the PMNCH Board Retreat

in Johannesburg (March 2016)

governments we are able to implement a projectof early detection of cancer of the cervix, alongwith implementing the vaccination of school girlsin a few states in large countries, and totally insmall countries.

One hundred CMEs all over India are beingplanned through FIGO and FOGSI to update32,000 obstetricians and gynecologists insupporting early detection and prevention ofcancer of the cervix.

FIGO’s high profile at globalmeetingsRecently, I had the privilege to visit and representFIGO at three Member countries’ congresses.This included the All India Congress of Obstetrics& Gynaecology in Agra, India, in January, whichwas attended by over 10,000 delegates, withover 50 international faculties.

The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & ChildHealth (PMNCH) Board Retreat was held inJohannesburg, South Africa, in March 2016. AsChair of the Health Care ProfessionalAssociations, I represented FIGO on its ExecutiveBoard.

It was a fruitful meeting with many decisionstaken by the stakeholders which includeddonors, UN agencies, industry, WHO, the WorldBank and the Global Financing Facility (GFF) onissues of women’s and adolescents’ health.

Looking to Rio 2018The FIGO Congress Committee Chair and hiscolleagues are working hard to select theProfessional Congress Organiser (PCO) for the

2018 Rio Congress, along with overseeing allother arrangements.

At the Officers’ meeting, it was decided that, inorder to give global representation of speakersand chairpersons, names and CVs, with topics,depending on declared strength of countrymembership, will need to be submitted to theCongress Scientific Committee two years inadvance for them to choose from.

This should, for the first time, give an opportunityto members all over the world to participate asspeakers and chairpersons at Rio 2018.

The FIGO Officers met at the end of January tooversee FIGO’s work and take major decisions.

In order to have a total regional balance – even atthe FIGO Officers’ level – I wish to inform you thatthe vacancy created by the resignation ofProfessor Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran as pastPresident was filled by the Officers by appointingProfessor Yirgu Gebrehiwot of Ethiopia. He hasaccepted and joined the Officers with immediateeffect. We welcome him.

The Chief Executive of FIGO, Professor HamidRushwan, retires in September after nine years ofservice to FIGO, and the Officers will appoint anew incumbent soon.

I hope to serve you for the tenure of myPresidential term to the best of my ability and inthe best interests of FIGO.

Kind regards

Professor C N PurandareFIGO President 2015–2018

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S OVERVIEW

In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | May 2016 3

Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), who Iknow will welcome us warmly and help us set thescene for a productive, energetic and memorablegathering.

Shortly after the Executive Board meeting, I willattend the high profile ‘Women Deliver’conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, ablypresided over by Jill Sheffield, a true figurehead inwomen’s health. The event will surely capture theattention of all those involved in maternal andnewborn health; the conference is nearly upon us(16–19 May 2016), so I urge you to visitwww.womendeliver.org without delay for thevery latest updates.

Retirement of Chief ExecutiveAs many of you will be aware, I have made thedecision to retire as Chief Executive of FIGO atthe end of September 2016, after a successor ischosen.

I have had the great pleasure of working at FIGOas the Chief Executive since 2007. During thisperiod, we have seen many changes and newdevelopments within the organisation and therehave been many successful achievements overthe years.

I feel the time is now right to pass responsibilityto my successor to take FIGO forward. Furtherinformation will be available later on in the year,and will be featured in the next Newsletter – wewill certainly keep all those connected with theFIGO family fully informed.

Until then, I send my very best wishes for aproductive year, as we continue to work for thebenefit of women’s and children’s healthworldwide.

Professor Hamid RushwanFIGO Chief Executive

FIGO HouseWaterloo Court, 10 Theed StreetLondon SE1 8ST, UKTel: +44 20 7928 1166Fax: +44 20 7928 7099Email: figo@figo.org

The International Federation of Gynecology andObstetrics is a UK Registered Charity (No 1113263;Company No 5498067) registered in England andWales. The Registered Office is shown above.

Administrative Director:Sean O’Donnell

FIGO Officers:

President:Professor Chittaranjan Narahari Purandare (India)

President-Elect:Dr Carlos Füchtner (Bolivia)

Vice President:Professor Seija Grenman (Finland)

Honorary Secretary:Professor Gian Carlo Di Renzo (Italy)

Honorary Treasurer:Dr Ralph Hale (USA)

Dr Yirgu Gebrehiwot Ferede (Ethiopia)

Chief Executive:Professor Hamid Rushwan (Sudan/UK) (Ex-officio)

Readers are invited to refer items for consideration byemail to communications@figo.org no later thanFriday 17 June 2016 for the next issue.

The views expressed in articles in the FIGO Newsletterare those of the authors and do not necessarily reflectthe official viewpoint of FIGO.

Produced and edited by Alexandra Gilpin at the FIGOSecretariat © FIGO 2016.

International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Dear ColleaguesIt is a pleasure to connect with you again in thefirst Newsletter of 2016. I trust the year beganwell for you.

2016 started off in traditional brisk fashion, withthe first meeting of the new FIGO President andnew Officers in late January (an introduction tothe team is on page four). It was a stimulatingand challenging meeting, with many new ideasexpressed – new proposals arising from thismeeting will be submitted to the Executive Boardfor approval and action when it meets inWashington in mid-May. We have also beendelighted to finalise the new Chairs and Membersof the FIGO Committees and Working Groups –these have increased in number and breadth oftopic/activity, and I am confident they will doexcellent work on the Federation’s behalf. Theyare important channels for FIGO’s work, andreflect a continued determination to realiseFIGO’s mission to promote the health andwellbeing of women worldwide and to improvethe practice of gynecology and obstetrics.

Improving the birth experience …through the ‘Lab.our Ward’In March, FIGO joined a one day collaborativemeeting, the ‘Lab.our Ward’, a multidisciplinarydesign project that aims to create newapproaches to pregnancy and childbirth forresource-constrained hospitals in Sub-SaharanAfrica to improve the experience of women givingbirth.

FIGO was especially invited to participate inshaping innovations that will be presented in aphysical labour ward model at the upcoming‘Women Deliver’ conference and then testedfurther in a select set of facilities. New FIGO

colleagues ‘Marketing for InternationalDevelopment’ (www.m4id.fi) are headlining thisfascinating project, inviting FIGO and otherstakeholders to review maternal healthinnovations from the point of view of space,products and services to ideate and designprototypes around architecture, interior andambience, experience, interactions, tools andaccessories.

M4ID is also advising FIGO on its online profile,now an essential component of anyorganisation’s communications strategy.

The latest on post-partumhaemorrhageIn early April, I was invited to attend a Post-partum Haemorrhage (PPH) Research AdvisoryGroup meeting in New York, organised byGynuity Health Projects, our misoprostol initiativeproject donor. The meeting included results fromseveral large community-based studies thatprovide important insight on the different waysthat misoprostol can be integrated into futureprogrammes for PPH management.

In mid-April, I was invited to attend the annualconference of our Saudi Arabian Member Societyto present on Maternal Nutrition, a subjectgaining a higher profile among obstetricians andgynecologists thanks to the recent FIGORecommendations on Adolescent,Preconception, and Maternal Nutrition: ‘ThinkNutrition First’ (2015). This important and timelyresource can be accessed atwww.figo.org/figo-project-publications.

As many of you will be aware, the upcomingFIGO Executive Board Meeting is in mid-May, inthe fine city of Washington DC, when we lookforward to meeting our valued globalrepresentatives. We must extend grateful thanksto our meeting hosts the American College of

A brisk start to 2016!

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INTRODUCING THE NEW FIGO OFFICERS (2015–2018)

4 In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | May 2016

FIGO held the first meetingof its newly electedOfficers on 30–31 January2016 at the LondonSecretariatHere is an overview of the team tasked withguiding FIGO from 2015–2018.

• FIGO President –Professor C N Purandare (India)

Professor C N Purandare, at 64, is a dynamicleader who received training in obstetrics andgynecology in India and Ireland. A seniorconsultant obstetrician and gynecologist at threeleading hospitals in Mumbai, he is also thehonorary consultant for the Mumbai Police.Currently, he is the Dean of the Indian College ofObstetricians and Gynaecologists and EmeritusEditor for the Journal of Obstetrics andGynaecology of India. He has been conferred theFellowship (Honoris Causa) by the RCOG (RoyalCollege of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, UK)in 2009, Fellowship (Honorary) by the RCPI(Royal College of Physicians of Ireland) in 2013,and Fellowship (Honorary) by the AmericanCollege of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in2014.

An astute administrator, he has shaped thegrowth trajectory of the Mumbai Obs/GynSociety. He was the Secretary General of theFederation of Obstetric and GynaecologicalSocieties of India (FOGSI) for the years2004–2008. He later rose to be President(2009–10). He has a special interest in FoetalMedicine and High Risk Pregnancy and was thefirst to perform foetal surgery in India. He hasdevised the Purandare’s Modified RadicalHysterectomy Operation for Carcinoma of theCervix and successfully performed over 250 suchprocedures with an improved five-year survivalrate.

He was installed as President of FIGO in October2015 in Vancouver, Canada, at the FIGO WorldCongress. His vast experience will allow him toshape FIGO’s initiatives and strategies on a largerscale. In the immediate future, ProfessorPurandare will dedicate his time to prioritising‘Reduction in Maternal Mortality’ as an area ofcontinued momentum, and plans to build focuson ‘Family Planning’ which he advocates to becalled ‘Conception Planning’ in order to include alarge population of adolescents who need help.There will also be emphasis on prevention andearly detection of cancer of the cervix.

Professor Purandare will use his strengths ofleadership and team building, forgingpartnerships, financial acumen, strong academicknowledge of obs/gyn and integrity as the fivepillars to lead change and make FIGO trulyrecognised as the prime organisation for upliftingwomen’s health globally.

• President Elect –Dr Carlos Füchtner (Bolivia)

Dr Carlos Füchtneris the ExtraordinaryProfessor ofObstetrics andGynecology at theHospital Municipalde la Mujer, DrPercy Boland,Bolivia. He wasPresident of theBolivian Obstetricsand GynecologySociety (SBOG)from 2000–2002,and President ofthe Latin AmericanFederation ofObstetrics andGynecology

Societies (FLASOG) from 2002–2005. His workwith FIGO has seen him as a Member of theFIGO Executive Board representing FLASOG(2002–2005) and SBOG (2012–2018). He hasalso been a Member of FIGO’s Audit Committee(2004–2006) and of the FIGO Committee for SafeMotherhood and Newborn Health (2005 and2009–2012). He was awarded an HonoraryFellowship of the Society of Obstetricians andGynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) in 2010.

• Honorary Treasurer –Dr Ralph Hale (USA)

Prior to election as HonoraryTreasurer, Dr Haleserved 20 years asChairman of theDepartment ofObstetrics andGynecology at theUniversity ofHawaii, followed by18 years as theExecutive VicePresident at theAmerican Collegeof Obstetriciansand Gynecologists(ACOG). He hasbeen very active inFIGO and has

served on the Executive Board for 16 years asthe ACOG representative. During his positions hehas had extensive formal and informal training infinance, budgeting and other fiscal matters. As astrong supporter of international women’s health,he encourages FIGO’s members to contact himwith any questions or concerns.

• Honorary Secretary –Professor Gian Carlo Di Renzo(Italy)

Professor Di Renzois Professor andChair at theUniversity ofPerugia (UOP) inItaly. He is Directorof both theReproductive andPerinatal MedicineCenter and theMidwifery Schoolat UOP, and alsothe PermanentInternational andEuropean Schoolof Perinatal andReproductiveMedicine (PREIS)in Florence. His

other positions include Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Maternal Fetal andNeonatal Medicine, and Corresponding Editor ofthe American Journal of Obstetrics andGynecology. He is an Advisory Board Member forthe March of Dimes Foundation, a Fellow adeundem of the RCOG and an Honorary Fellow ofACOG and ICOG. He is an Honorary Professorand Doctor Honoris Causa at 15 differentuniversities throughout Europe, South Americaand the United States, and an AcademicMember of the Romanian and Russian Academyof Sciences.

• Vice President –Professor Seija Grenman (Finland)

Professor SeijaGrenman is theHead of theDepartment ofObstetrics andGynecology at theUniversity of Turkuand TurkuUniversity Hospitalin Finland. She isChairman of theFinnishGynecologicalAssociation andthe Finnish CancerFoundation. Shehas served indifferent positionsin the NordicFederation of

Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NFOG),the last being the Chairman of NFOG in2006–2009. In FIGO she was an Executive Boardmember from 2009–2015. As a Vice President ofFIGO she will work to improve internationalcollaboration as well as awareness of problemsof reproductive and sexual health and equalappreciation of both genders in different parts ofthe world.

• Dr Yirgu Gebrehiwot Ferede(Ethiopia)

Dr YirguGebrehiwot Feredeis an AssociateProfessor andConsultantobstetrician andgynecologistworking at AddisAbaba University,in the Faculty ofMedicine,Department ofObstetrics andGynecology. Hehas additionaltraining inepidemiology,biostatistics andgynecologiconcology.

Dr Yirgu has been the president of the EthiopianSociety of Obstetricians and Gynecologists fortwo terms, and was the first and foundingpresident of the African Federation of Obstetricsand Gynecology (AFOG). He has been a memberof the FIGO Executive Board, is Editor in Chief ofthe Ethiopian Journal of Reproductive Health,and is serving as an international board memberto IPAS.

For more information on FIGO’sstructure and governance, seewww.figo.org/figo-structure-and-governance.

5

NEW FIGO MEMBER SOCIETIES

In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | May 2016

The Rwanda Society of Obstetricians andGynecologists (RSOG) is a legally recognisedprofessional organisation [as per the MinisterialOrder N°04/08.11 of 9/1/2012 granting legalstatus to the Association ‘Rwanda Society ofObstetricians and Gynecologists (RSOG)’ andapproving its legal representative].

Its mission is to support its members in pursuit ofthe improvement in women’s health in Rwandaby promoting excellence in clinical practice,training and research in obstetrics andgynecology; through Continuing ProfessionalDevelopment (CPD) and the maintenance of highethical standards; and representing the disciplinewithin the country, on the continent andinternationally.

Since then it has been actively involved inimproving maternal and child health in Rwandathrough teaching sessions, an outreachprogramme, and advising the Ministry of Healthin matters related to reproductive health.

Since its creation, RSOG has been able toconduct Annual Scientific Conferences withimpressive turn-outs and the participation ofinternational speakers. So far, we have been ableto conduct three such Conferences with thefollowing themes:• July 2013: Saving Mothers Giving Birth• July 2014: NCD [Non-Communicable Disease]

and Reproductive Health• July 2015: Improving Maternal and Newborn

Health in Rwanda as Post-2015 Agenda forSustainable Development

Each Conference was preceded by a one-dayPre-Conference Workshop on colposcopy, officehysteroscopy, laparoscopy and ultrasound inobstetrics and gynecology.

Once a month all the gynecologists meet for an

evening scientific event to discuss and presentupdates in the field of obstetrics and gynecology.We have also been actively involved in anoutreach programme where we move to ruralareas to teach doctors about management ofobstetric emergencies.

Since 2014, we have started a teachingprogramme on caesarean section supported bya video [www.vimeo.com/117393422]developed in partnership with the InternationalOrganization for Women and Development(IOWD), an American NGO involved in women’shealth to improve the skills of generalpractitioners in District Hospitals.

All these teaching activities are CPD-accredited,as RSOG has been accredited by the RwandaMedical and Dental Council as a CPD provider.

In 2012 a law on abortion was passed in Rwandawhere a woman can be allowed abortion underfour circumstances. RSOG has supported theMinistry of Health Maternal and Child CareDepartment in the development of policydocuments, national protocols and trainingmaterials for addressing unsafe abortion in thecountry throughout the ‘ComprehensivePostabortion Care Program andOperationalization of Exemptions for Abortion inthe Penal Code of 2012 Program’. Last year weconducted a study to measure the stigma relatedto abortion (data is still being analysed).RSOG is also involved in a study on obstetricfistula with the Johns Hopkins School ofMedicine in the USA, and it provides technicalexpertise to the Rwanda Ministry of Health (MOH)for programmes such as provision of safeabortion, Emergency Obstetric and NewbornCare, cervical cancer screening and treatmentand family planning. RSOG also assesses ob/gynprivate clinics’ standards.Since last year, we have decided to have an endof year social function to bring together allgynecologists and their families, so we can wisheach other a prosperous New Year. It is anopportunity to get to know each other outsidethe usual work environment.Being part of FIGO is a great achievement forRSOG. We dreamt of joining as we know thatthis august organisation will help us to grow sothat we can achieve our goal of improvingwomen’s health in Rwanda.We are available for any project FIGO would liketo initiate!

Thank you very much.

– By Dr Eugene Ngoga, RSOG President

The Association of Obstetricians andGynecologists of Uzbekistan was founded in2002. The initiators of the association’sactivities are professors and assistantprofessors of higher medical institutions inobstetrics and gynecology.

The association is a non-governmental, non-profit social organisation with legal personality.In 2010 there were 30 elected members fromamong leading specialists of the Republic ofUzbekistan, who identified major areas ofactivity, as approved in a work plan. ProfessorDilbar Najmutdinova (PhD) has been Chairmanof the association since 2012.

According to the charter of the organisation,the main purposes of its creation are:• The union of all obstetricians of the Republic• The reduction of maternal and perinatal

morbidity and mortality• The introduction of the latest achievements in

medical science in the everyday practice ofobstetrics and gynecology

• The strengthening of connections betweenscientific and practical healthcare systems

• The training of doctors

Members of the Board carried out an analysisof maternal and perinatal mortality, andformulated proposals to improve and developservices in maternal and child health. Boardmembers also assist in organising andconducting scientific conferences, symposiaand congresses. Systematic work is underwayto identify a unique format of NationalStandards.

The organisation is responsible for:• Interaction between institutions regarding

maternal and child health• Approving and implementing activities

designed to reduce maternal and perinatal lossand disability, using modern medicaltechnology, diagnostics and treatment

• Preserving and restoring women’s reproductivehealth

• Promoting excellence in the practice ofobstetrics and gynecology

• Advancing the health of women throughleadership, advocacy, collaboration andeducation

Dr Najmutdinova is a Professor of Medicine atthe Tashkent Medical Academy in theDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology for thepreparation of general practitioners. She is aDirector of the Republican Specialized Scientific-Practical Medical Center of Obstetrics andGynecology of the Ministry of Health of theRepublic of Uzbekistan. She began her medicalcareer as a junior researcher in the obstetrics andgynecology clinic of Tashkent State MedicalUniversity. She became an assistant professorthere in the obstetrics and gynecology

department in 1992 and in 1998 was electedits Head. In 2005, Tashkent Medical Academywas founded, where Professor Najmutdinovawas invited as a Vice-Rector of scientific affairstill 2014. Since 2014 she has been leading theRepublican Specialized Scientific-PracticalMedical Center of Obstetrics and Gynecology,where she has been enjoying an everincreasing role in medical education andpractice.

Her current portfolio includes responsibilities forundergraduate, postgraduate and continuingprofessional learning. She has a busy clinicalpractice in general gynecology, with specialinterests in sexual and reproductive health,vulvar disease and vaginal surgery. Heracademic interests include physicianassessment, knowledge translation, innovativecurriculum development and enhancement oflearning through simulation.

– Courtesy of the Association

Rwanda and Uzbekistan join the FIGO family

Dr Eugene Ngoga, RSOG President, at the First RSOGAnnual Scientific Conference

Professor Dilbar Najmutdinova (PhD), Chairman, at the VIIIth Congress of the Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Uzbekistan

NEW FIGO COMMITTEES 2015–2018

6 In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | May 2016

Capacity Buildingin Education andTrainingchaired by Professor Ernesto CastelazoMorales

• Dr Ernesto Castelazo Morales –Chair, Mexico

• Professor Luis Cabero Roura –Past Chair, Spain

• Professor ChittaranjanPurandare – Ex officio, India

• Dr Carlos Fuchtner –Ex officio, Bolivia

• Dr Maria Cecilia Arturo Rojas,Columbia

• Professor Moshe Hod, Israel• Professor Rashid Latif Khan,

Pakistan• Dr David Richmond, UK• Professor Oladapo Ladipo,

Nigeria• Dr André Lalonde –

Advisor, Canada

Ethical Aspects ofHumanReproduction andWomen’s Healthchaired by Dr Frank A Chervenak

• Dr Frank A Chervenak –Chair, USA

• Dr Sanjay Gupte – Co-Chair, India• Dr Bernard Dickens –

Past Chair, Canada• Dr Hannah Motshedisi Sebitloane,

South Africa• Professor Leonel Briozzo,

Uruguay• Dr Laurence McCullough, USA• Dr Michael Marsh, UK• The Lord Patel – Consultant, UK• Dr Ralph Hale – Ex officio, USA

Fistulachaired by Professor Ajay Rane

• Professor Ajay Rane –Chair, Australia

• The Lord Patel –Emeritus Co-Chair, UK

• Dr Yirgu Gebrehiwot Ferede –Ex officio, Ethiopia

• Dr Andrew Browning, Tanzania• Dr Gloria Esegbona, UK• Professor Sayeba Akhter,

Bangladesh• Professor Kalilou Ouattara, Mali

GynecologicOncologychaired by Dr Neerja Bhatla

• Dr Neerja Bhatla – Chair, India• Dr Kanishka Karunaratne –

Co-Chair, Sri Lanka• Professor Lynette Denny –

Past Chair, South Africa• Professor Seija Grenman –

Ex officio, Finland• Professor Jaime Prat, Spain• Professor Sean Kehoe, UK• Dr Alexander B Olawaiye, USA• Dr Mauricio Cuello Fredes, Chile• Dr Rengaswamy

Sankaranarayanan, France• Dr Jonathan Berek, USA

MenstrualDisorderschaired by Professor Rohana Haththotuwa

• Professor Rohana Haththotuwa –Chair, Sri Lanka

• Professor Alka Kriplani –Co-Chair, India

• Dr Carlos Fuchtner –Ex officio, Bolivia

• Professor Ian Fraser, Australia• Professor Malcolm Munro, USA• Professor Hilary Critchley, UK• Dr Rebecca Tonye, Cameroon• Dr Mario Hidalgo, Spain• Dr Luis Bahamon, Brazil

ReproductiveMedicinechaired by Dr Edgar Mocanu

• Dr Edgar Mocanu – Chair, Ireland• Professor Dov Feldberg –

Co-Chair, Israel• Dr David Adamson –

Past Chair, USA• Professor Chittaranjan Purandare –

Ex officio, India• Dr Nona Mishieva, Russia• Dr Jaideep Malhotra, India• Professor Silke Dyer, South Africa• Dr Fernando Zegers, Chile• Dr Zev Rosenwaks, USA• Professor Ernest Ng, Hong Kong

Safe Motherhoodand NewbornHealthchaired by Professor Gerry Visser

• Professor Gerard H A Visser –Chair, the Netherlands

• Professor William Stones –Past Chair, Kenya

• Professor Gian Carlo Di Renzo –Ex officio, Italy

• Dr Diogo Ayres De Campos,Portugal

• Dr P K Shah, India• Dr Maria Fernanda Escobar,

Colombia• Dr Wanda Nicholson, USA• Dr Anwar Nassar, Lebanon• Dra Isabel Lloyd, Panama• Dr Luming Sun, China

• Dr Gerhard Theron, South Africa• Dr Eytan Barnea, USA• Dr Salimah Walani (March of

Dimes) – Ex officio, USA

Urogynecology andPelvic Floorchaired by Professor Tsung-Hsien Su

• Professor Tsung-Hsien Su –Chair, Taiwan

• Dr David Richmond –Co-Chair, UK

• Professor Chittaranjan Purandare –Ex officio, India

• Professor Oscar Contreras Ortiz,Argentina

• Dr Bob Freeman (IUGA), UK• Dr Peter de Jong, South Africa• Dr Paul Riss, Austria• Professor Steven Swift, USA

Women’s Sexualand ReproductiveRightschaired by Professor Chiara Benedetto

• Professor Chiara Benedetto –Chair, Italy

• Professor Lesley Regan –Past Chair, UK

• Professor Seija Grenman –Ex officio, Finland

• Professor Stephen Munjanja,Zimbabwe

• Professor Pio Ivan Gomez,Colombia

• Dr Shaimaa M J Ibrahim, Iraq• Dr Paulo Felipe Meade Trevino,

Mexico• Dr Rubina Sohail, Pakistan• Dr Hemantha Senanayake,

Sri Lanka• Dr Colleen Patricia McNicholas,

USA• Dr Jan Elizabeth Christilaw,

Canada• Ms Silke Mader (EFCNI) –

Ex officio, GermanyAny amendments to these names will bereflected on www.figo.org at the earliest

7In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | May 2016

NEW FIGO WORKING GROUPS 2015–2018Adolescent, Pre-conception andMaternal Nutritionchaired by Professor Mark Hanson

• Professor Mark Hanson –Chair, UK

• Professor ChittaranjanPurandare – Ex officio, India

• Dr Irene Cetin, Italy• Dr Anthony Costello, UK/WHO• Dr Ricardo Fescina, Uruguay• Dr Torvid Kiserud, Norway• Dr Bert Koletsko, Germany• Dr Ronald Ma, Hong Kong• Dr Fionnuala McAuliffe, Ireland• Dr Shane Norris, South Africa• Dr Emily Oken, USA• Dr Lucilla Poston, UK• Dr Luz Maria De-Regil, Canada• Dr Chittaranjan Yajnik, India

Breast Diseasechaired by Professor Sven Becker

• Professor Sven Becker –Chair, Germany

• Dr Gustavo Ferreiro Delgado,Uruguay

• Dr Nestor Garello, Argentina• Dr Wadih Ghaname, Lebanon• Dr Minoru Irahara, Japan• Dr Sibone Mocumbi,

Mozambique• Professor Mark Pearlman, USA• Dr Tarini Taneja, India• Ex officio TBC

Challenges in theCare of Mothersand Infants duringLabour andDeliverychaired by Dr Roberto Romero

• Dr Roberto Romero – Chair, USA• Professor Gian Carlo Di Renzo –

Ex officio, Italy• Professor Chittaranjan Purandare –

Ex officio, India• Dr Agustin Conde-Agudelo,

Columbia• Professor Tony Duan, China• Professor Dan Farine, Canada• Dr Maria Teresa Gervasi, Italy• Professor Tadashi Kimura, Japan• Dr Yami Leo, South Korea• Dr Jack Lukmio, Peru

• Dr Jose M Palacios deJaraquemada, Argentina

• Professor Michael Robson,Ireland

• Dr Sergio Rosales, Mexico• Dr Susanna Timonen, Finland• Mr David Bloomer (GLOWM) –

Ex officio, UK• Dr Michael Stark (NESA) –

Ex officio, Germany• Professor Gerard Visser –

Ex officio, Netherlands

Contraceptionchaired by Ms Jill Sheffield

• Ms Jill Sheffield (Women Deliver) –Chair, USA

• Professor Chittaranjan Purandare –Co-Chair, Ex-officio, India

• Professor Sir SabaratnamArulkumaran, UK

• Dr Linda de Caestecker, UK• Dr George Creasy

(Population Council), USA• Ms Carolyn Curtis (USAID), USA• Dr Senait Fisseha

(STB Foundation), USA• Dr James Kiarie (WHO),

Switzerland• Dr Alicia Luchowski (ACOG), USA• Dr Sarah Onyango (IPPF), UK• Dr Nuriye Ortayli (UNFPA), USA• Professor Hamid Rushwan, UK

Good ClinicalPractice inMaternal-FoetalMedicinechaired by Professor Gian Carlo Di Renzo

• Professor Gian Carlo Di Renzo –Chair, Italy

• Professor Eduardo Fonseca,Brazil

• Dr Carlos Fuchtner – Ex officio,Bolivia

• Dr Eduardo Gratacos, Spain• Dr Sonia Hassan, USA• Dr Mark Kurtser, Russia• Dr Fergal Malone, Ireland• Dr Shilpa Nambiar, Malaysia• Professor Kypros Nicolaides, UK• Dr Nancy Sierra, Mexico• Professor Huixia Yang,China• Dr Vincenzo Berghella (SMFM),

USA• Professor Mark Hanson

(Chair – Working Group onAdolescent, Preconception andMaternal Nutrition) – Ex officio,UK

• Professor Moshe Hod (Chair – Working Group onHyperglycemia in Pregnancy) –Ex officio, Israel/Europe

• Professor Joe Leigh Simpson (March of Dimes) – Ex officio, USA

• Dr Yves Ville (ISUOG) – Ex officio,France

• Professor Gerard Visser (Chair – SMNH Committee) –Ex officio, Netherlands

Hyperglycemia inPregnancychaired by Professor Moshe Hod

• Professor Moshe Hod –Chair, Israel

• Dr Hema Divakar –Co-Chair, India

• Dr Yirgu Gebrehiwot Ferede –Ex officio, Ethiopia

• Dr Hector Bolatti, Argentina• Professor Luis Cabero Roura,

Spain• Dr Blami Dao (JPHIEGO), USA• Dr Gernot Desoye, Austria• Dr Fidelma Dunne, Ireland• Dr Anil Kapur, India• Dr Tahir Mahmood, UK• Dr Mohamed Momtaz, Egypt• Dr David McIntyre, Australia• Dr Umberto Simeoni, Switzerland• Dr Huixia Yang, China• Professor Mark Hanson –

Ex officio, UK• Professor Gian Carlo Di Renzo –

Ex officio, Italy• Professor Gerard Visser –

Ex officio, Netherlands• Professor Mary D’Alton, Society

for Maternal-Fetal Medicine(SMFM), USA (collaborator)

• Dr Kaushik Ramaiya, InternationalDiabetes Federation, Tanzania(collaborator)

• Dr Belma Malanda, InternationalDiabetes Federation, Belgium(collaborator)

Pre-term Birthchaired by Professor Joe Leigh Simpson

• Professor Joe Leigh Simpson –Chair, USA

• Professor Gian Carlo Di Renzo –Co-Chair, Ex officio, Italy

• Dr Ernesto Castelazo Morales,Mexico

• Professor Mary D’Alton, USA• Professor Eduardo Fonseca,

Brazil• Professor Bo Jacobsson,

Sweden• Professor Oladapo Ashiru, Nigeria• Dr T Y Leung, Hong Kong• Professor James Martin, USA• Professor Jane Norman, UK• Dr Madhuri Patel, India• Dr Jennifer Howse –

Ex officio, USA• Dr Christopher Howson –

Ex officio, USA• Dr Ralph Hale – Ex officio, USA

Prevention ofUnsafe Abortionchaired by Professor Anibal Faúndes

• Professor Anibal Faúndes –Chair, Brazil

• Dr Jaydeep Tank – Co-Chair, India• Dr Teresa Bombas, Portugal• Dr Rodica Comendant, Moldova• Dr Berna Dilbaz,Turkey• Dr Guyo Jaldesa, Kenya• Dr Timothy Johnson, USA• Professor Robert Leke, Cameroon• Dr Paul Van Look, Switzerland• Dr Marina Padilla de Gil, El Salvador• Dr Dorothy Shaw, Canada• Dr Luis Tavara, Peru• Dr Shahida Zaidi, Pakistan• Dr Carlos Fuchtner –

Ex officio, Bolivia

Reproductive andEnvironmentalDevelopmentalHealthchaired by Dr Linda Giudice

• Dr Linda Giudice – Chair, USA• Dr Jeanne Conry – Co-Chair, USA• Professor Gian Carlo Di Renzo –

Ex officio, Italy• Professor Richard Anderson, UK• Professor Riana Bornman,

South Africa• Professor Maria Dolores

Gomez Roig, Spain• Professor Hong-Nerng Ho, Taiwan• Dr Ntodeni Ndwamato, South

Africa• Dr Edgar Ivan Ortiz, Columbia• Dr Jorma Toppari, Finland• Dr Tracey Woodruff, USA

Violence AgainstWomenchaired by Dr Diana Galimberti

• Dr Diana Galimberti – Chair,Argentina

• Dr Claudia Garcia-Moreno –Co-Chair, Switzerland

• Professor Seija Grenman –Ex officio, Finland

• Dr Luc de Bernis (UNFPA), Geneva• Dr Anita Gagnon, Canada• Dr Faysal El Kak, Lebanon• Dr Shantha Kumari, India• Dr Desiree Mostajo Flores, Bolivia• Dr Vinay Rane, Australia/USA• Professor Berit Schei, NorwayAny amendments to these names will bereflected on www.figo.org at the earliest

FIGO ACTIVITIES

8

FIGO Nutrition and Hyperglycemia Working Groups take shapeFIGO Working Group on Adolescent, Preconception and Maternal NutritionFollowing the release of The InternationalFederation of Gynecology and Obstetrics(FIGO) Recommendations on Adolescent,Preconception and Maternal Nutrition: ‘Think

Nutrition First’ at the 2015 FIGO WorldCongress, a FIGO Working Group onAdolescent, Preconception and MaternalNutrition (APMN) was established to ensure theimplementation of the recommendationsacross the countries represented by FIGO’sMember Societies.

The Group is led by Professor Mark Hanson, whosuccessfully spearheaded the development ofthe document on FIGO recommendations. TheGroup will focus on two key areas: advocacy andawareness-raising, and capacity-building andtraining. It will hold its first meeting at theEuropean Society for PaediatricGastroenterology, Hepatology and NutritionCongress, to be held in Athens in May 2016,where the project will also be presented bymembers of the Working Group.

Key to the progress of the Group is the team of14 Regional Ambassadors from around theglobe. This team of passionate nutritionadvocates has been recruited from FIGO’sMember Societies to help with dissemination ofthe recommendations document, as well asadapting it into locally relevant guidelines in eachof their countries/regions. Beyond the first year ofthe Group’s work the Regional Ambassadors willalso assist with the capacity-building workstreamby undertaking and facilitating in-country trainingin order to aid implementation of therecommendations.

If you are interested in learning more about theGroup, and seeing the FIGO recommendationsand the series of infographics which accompanythem (multiple languages available), please visitwww.figo.org/working-group-adolescent-pre-conception-and-maternal-nutrition orcontact matthew@figo.org for moreinformation.

FIGO on YouTube!:Maternal Nutrition videosnow availableSome presentations from the FIGO WorldCongress can be viewed on the new FIGOYouTube account, accessible via the icon on thehomepage of www.figo.org.

The videos include an introduction to adolescent,preconception and maternal nutrition, regionalissues from North America, Africa and Europe,and the national context in Sudan, South Korea,India, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Colombia andTurkey.

Members of the Working Group presenting therecommendations at the 2015 World Congress

FIGO continues todisseminate evidence onMisoprostol for PPHThe long-running FIGO Misoprostol forPost-Partum Haemorrhage (PPH) in Low-Resource Settings Initiative with GynuityHealth Projects continues to disseminatehigh-level evidence on misoprostol for theprevention and treatment of post-partumhaemorrhage – still the number one causeof maternal deaths around the world.

Since the Initiative’s success at the 2015FIGO World Congress, FIGO has supportedexpert panel sessions in Brazil at theFederaçao Brasileira das Associações deGinecologia e Obstetricia (FEBRASGO)conference; in Mexico at the CongresoMexicano De Ginecología y Obstetric(FEMECOG) conference; and in South Africaat the South African Society of Obstetriciansand Gynaecologists’ (SASOG) Congress.

The Initiative will next host a side event at theWomen Deliver conference in Copenhagenon Tuesday 17 May, 5.30–7.00pm [LakeGeneva Room at the Crowne PlazaCopenhagen Towers, a 2km walk from theconference venue or short metro ride to‘Ørestad’ station; refreshments provided].Entitled ‘Postpartum hemorrhage: still theleading cause of maternal deaths. Time forbroader thinking and greater innovation?’,this expert panel session, moderated byJerker Liljestrand of the Bill & Melinda GatesFoundation, will highlight some of the mostcritical new thinking and research aroundPPH, with important implications for how wethink about and manage this challengeglobally. It will feature presentations on newcommunity models highlighting the feasibilityand importance of task-sharing PPHmanagement to all settings where womendeliver. Evidence from country programmesin Senegal and Nepal will also highlightimportant lessons learned that help informhow we think about designing effective PPHmanagement programmes.

Please RSVP to Meagan Byrne(mbyrne@gynuity.org) at the earliest orcontact Jessica Morris for more information(jessica@figo.org).Other upcoming opportunities to see expertspresent on the use of misoprostol for PPHinclude a session at the American College ofObstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG)Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting inWashington DC on 14 May 2016 (10.45–11.45am; see www.acog.org fordetails).

Thank you to all Member Societies who tookthe time to complete the FIGO survey sent inJanuary/February. The primary goal of it is tolearn more about national recommendationsfor the use of misoprostol for PPH preventionand treatment. FIGO looks forward to sharingthe results soon.

FIGO Working Group on Hyperglycemia in PregnancyThe newly formed FIGO Hyperglycemia in Pregnancy (HIP) Working Group builds on theexceptional achievements of the expert group responsible for creating The InternationalFederation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Initiative on Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Pragmatic Guide for Diagnosis, Management, and Care (2015), which was launched at the2015 FIGO World Congress.

The Group, chaired by Professor Moshe Hod, willfocus on three priority areas: 1) advocacy andawareness-raising, 2) capacity-building andtraining, and 3) research and implementationscience. While the Group aims to implement theFIGO recommendations across the globe, eightpriority countries have been identified for targetedaction. These countries – India, China, Nigeria,Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Brazil andMexico – account for 55 per cent of the globaldiabetes burden.

The Group met for the first time in Florence on 29-30 January 2016, where they further outlined theGroup’s remit and members designated themselves to the sub-groups working on the priority

areas. A joint action plan was created for the terms of the Group,which will run to the next FIGO World Congress in 2018 in Rio deJaneiro, Brazil.

The work of the Group, as well as the FIGO recommendationsthemselves, will be presented at a number of conferencesthroughout the year, including Women Deliver and the EuropeanBoard and College of Obstetrics and Gynecology annual meeting,which both take place in May 2016. Members of the Group willalso be delivering components of a postgraduate course (pre-congress) and presenting at the South Asia and Asia PacificInternational Congress on Diabetes in Pregnancy (SAIDIP),hosted by DIPAP in Sri Lanka this September (seewww.comtecmed.com/dipap/2016/timetable.aspx).

If you are interested in learning more about the Group, the FIGOrecommendations and multilingual infographics, please visitwww.figo.org/working-group-hyperglycemia-pregnancy orcontact matthew@figo.org for more information.

Members of the Working Group in Florence, January 2016

Inter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | May 2016

Project information courtesy of Jessica Morris andMatthew Pretty

9In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | May 2016

Professionals benefit from 2015FIGO/Chien-Tien Hsu Fellowships

Division, at the agency. He briefed us regardinghis current interests and research projects, andwe had a fruitful discussion on how we canpotentially collaborate with one another. He gaveme great insights into future research in my field.

In the second week, I attended FIGO’s XXI WorldCongress, finding it highly beneficial to my careerfor several reasons: it provided a greatopportunity to update knowledge; meet stalwartsin the field of gynecologic oncology; see first-hand how a Congress of such magnitude couldbe organised; and present my poster on‘Incidental Leiomyosarcoma of the Uterus: Asingle tertiary care centre experience of 25 casesover a period of five years’. Many delegatesdiscussed the relevance of the poster with me.Also, the Exhibition stalls gave us an opportunityto see newer technologies that have beenlaunched.

After training in gynecologic oncology I aim toestablish the first gynecologic oncology unit at atertiary care centre with a postgraduate teachingfacility in the government sector in Kerala State.As a gynecologic oncologist beginning his career,this programme has enhanced my vision for thefuture, and has given me invaluable insights thatwill help me in this important upcoming project.

– Dr Santhosh Kuriakose, MS, Post DoctoralFellowship in Gynecologic Oncology, Chief ofServices, Gynecologic Oncology Division,Assistant Professor in Obstetrics andGynecology, Government Medical College,Kozhikode, Kerala, India

Associate Professor Dr MohamadNasir Shafiee (Malaysia)

Dr Shafiee and Dr Miller

I was so delighted to receive this prestigiousaward. It opened up a new dimension in mycareer as an academician, obstetrician andgynecologist, particularly in gynecologiconcology. A week-long stint at the GynecologicOncology Unit in Vancouver Hospital, BritishColumbia, headed by Dr Dianne Miller, wastremendously priceless! The first-class hospitalityand warm welcome that was provided by Dr

Miller and her team throughout the stay made mefeel like I had gained a new extended family inBC!

A complete series of clinical sessions thatincluded ward rounds, clinics, meetings andsurgical procedures were scheduled for theFellows to highlight ‘360 degree’, comprehensivewomen’s care in this well-established unit. I wasimpressed by the teams’ multidisciplinary andmultiracial involvement, and a very efficientservice was delivered for patients’ needs. I wasalso privileged to be introduced to the Head ofthe British Columbia Cancer Agency, Dr DavidHuntsman. His great passion in researchmotivated me to explore more researchopportunities, especially study collaboration withBCA, Vancouver. We will definitely explore somepertinent research questions to be studied, andestablish an institutional link between BCA,Canada and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia(UKM), Malaysia.

I was also given an opportunity to present mytwo research topics at the FIGO Congress 2015on the link between polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS) and endometrial cancer. This session notonly improved my scientific presentation skills,but gave me experience on how to fieldquestions and present a professionalappearance. It also opened research networkingopportunities with other presenters and theaudience. As I indulge an equal interest in bothclinical practice and research (and also teaching),mainly in reproductive malignancy, I feel that Ineed a firm foundation to ‘grow up’ and catalysethe development of this fraternity – FIGO hasoffered me the appropriate base. I will definitelywork harder and smarter to make my dream areality.

Socially the programme allowed me toexperience different cultures and people outsidemy usual daily life. It broadened my knowledge,not only on clinical settings of medical practice,but on geographical aspects, different peoplesand their beliefs; in addition, I greatly enjoyed thenatural beauty of Vancouver!

This Fellowship programme is truly beneficial inmany aspects. I feel so blessed to have beenchosen for the programme, and would stronglyrecommend other potential candidates to applyin the future.

I would like to express special gratitude to theFIGO Fellowship Committee, Dr Dianne Miller,Bill, Lorna, Dr David Huntsman, the gynecologiconcology team at Vancouver General Hospital,and everyone who has supported me throughoutmy programme.

– Associate Professor Dr Mohamad NasirShafiee, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia(UKM)

In 1992, the Chien-Tien Hsu ResearchFoundation and FIGO established a fellowshipto enable young obstetricians andgynecologists beginning a career ingynecologic oncology to attend the FIGOWorld Congress and to visit a gynecologiccentre (in a country usually where a FIGOCongress is being held).

In 2015, the two successful Fellowshipapplicants were Dr Santhosh Kuriakose (India)and Associate Professor Dr Mohamad NasirShafiee (Malyasia). They report here on theirsuccessful activities.

Dr Santhosh Kuriakose (India)The Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship gave me,a gynecologic oncologist working in India, a greatopportunity to see and understand the practice ina technologically advanced country like Canada.FIGO provided excellent logistical assistance inthe run up to the Congress.

My Observership took place under Dr DianneMiller, Head of Gynecologic Oncology services,British Colombia (BC) Cancer Agency, Vancouver,from 28 September–2 October 2015. Her greatconsideration, contagious enthusiasm and warmpersonality made the experience highlyenjoyable.

Based at the Gyne-oncology Clinics at DiamondHealth Centre. I could observe that the patientexpectations and problems greatly differed fromthat of our patients. I could see the advantage ofa general practitioner taking care of patients andreferring only those cases that needed to beseen by a gynecologic-oncologist. Treatment,irrespective of the cost involved, is taken care ofby Government insurance, and there is anorganised screening programme. There weremany pre-invasive lesions of the cervix and Icould absorb, first-hand, the managementprotocols, including how doctors counselpatients and help them to make informeddecisions. I could also participate in GrandRounds, a Tumour Board Meeting and PathologyRounds.

The Tumour Board is conducted at the BCCancer Agency. I attended a telemedicineconference where several specialists from otheroncology centres discussed case management.It was a great way to individualise casemanagement, and discuss difficult questionsregarding patient care. Dr Miller played a key rolein the conference, a regular activity for thedepartment.

During Grand Rounds, cases and consultationswere discussed, especially difficult ones, andtreatment plans finalised. Future operations werealso analysed, including detailed surgery plans.

During pathology rounds, we could seepathology slides and ask for clarification ofdoubts from the pathologist. Discussing the fineraspects of histology gave clinicians, especiallythe fellowship trainees, a deeper and betterperspective on the diseases they operate on. Inaddition, pathologists got to know exactly whatthe surgeon expected from them.

At the health centre, I observed gynecologic-oncologists operating across three days,appreciating the high-tech equipment they wereusing. I compared, and reflected on, the work wedo at home with that of Vancouver, and thishelped me understand our strengths andstrongholds, as well as our weaknesses. This hasactually broadened my vision for the gynecologiconcology unit where I serve as Chief of Services.

I met Dr David Huntsman, Chief of the Research

FIGO NEWS

Dr Santhosh Kuriakose

10

A record year for new-look IJGO team‘IJGO, the official publication of FIGO, had ahighly productive 2015, including attending theFIGO 2015 Congress and publishing eightjournal supplements – our highest total yet,’said Abi Cantor, Managing Editor.

‘Editorial Board members attended the annualmeeting in London, in February 2016, learningthat the journal had had a record-setting year in2015: 1,500 articles were submitted and morethan 2,000 pages of content published. 2015saw the number of articles downloaded throughElsevier’s ScienceDirect platform increase tomore than 500,000, with the number of articlesviewed through www.ijgo.org reaching over71,000. Throughout 2015, the journal’s globalreach continued to expand, with articles beingdownloaded by more than 5,000 institutionsworldwide. The use of IJGO’s mobile apps foriOS and Android devices continued rising fromprevious years, with the number of appdownloads, issues downloaded to mobiledevices, and abstracts viewed by researchers onthe move all increasing to record levels.

‘IJGO’s expanding use of social media hasincreased visibility internationally and the frequentactivity on IJGO’s Twitter feed [@IJGOLive] hasresulted in a more than fivefold increase in“followers”. The journal also launched its officialFacebook page. This social media activity willhelp to increase the journal’s ability to promotethe latest news, including the monthly “Editor’sPick” and the most recent content.

‘At the FIGO 2015 Congress in Canada, thejournal hosted, in collaboration with the GreenJournal, the British Journal of Obstetrics andGynaecology, and the Journal of Obstetrics andGynaecology Canada, two author workshops:“How to get published: What you need to know”and “How to get published: What you need todo”. These provided a great opportunity to helpnew researchers better understand the

publication process and how best to approachpreparing an article for submission.

Abi ended: ‘In 2015, we published eightsupplements – these included the FIGO CancerReport 2015, the Abstracts of the XXI FIGOWorld Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics,and FIGO’s World Report on Women’s Health,guest edited by IJGO Editor Richard Adanu andFIGO President Chittaranjan Narahari Purandare.’

New facesIn September 2015, IJGO welcomed two newmembers to the editorial office: Sean Fitzpatrick(Manuscript Editor) and Antonia Glanfield(Editorial Assistant).

Sean most recently worked as a freelancecopyeditor, as well as having several years ofexperience working in scientific and medicalpublishing as part of the editorial team at FutureScience Group. He holds a BSc in MolecularBiology from the University of St Andrews. Hecommented: ‘I am delighted to have joined theIJGO editorial team and am really looking forwardto contributing to the day-to-day running andcontinuing development of the journal. It is veryexciting to be involved in the communication ofimportant research from so many countriesacross the globe.’

Antonia holds a BSc in Psychology from theUniversity of the West of England in Bristol, and aPostgraduate Diploma in Publishing from OxfordBrookes University. She was interning within thePeer Review Management department of Wiley-Blackwell in Oxford before joining the IJGO team.She has a keen interest in publication ethics andis passionate about the dissemination of newresearch: ‘I am very happy to be a part of theIJGO team. I have found the work extremelyrewarding and I feel very privileged to be workingon such an important publication.’

Abi commented: ‘Sean and Antonia have beenfantastic additions to the team. IJGO quicklybenefited from their knowledge and ideas forjournal development. We will be working togetherto ensure we consolidate IJGO’s standing as ahigh-quality source of information and research,with a focus on low- and middle-incomecountries.’

She ended: ‘2015 was a whirlwind of activity,with staff changes, publication preparation forCongress and unprecedented numbers ofsubmissions. I look forward to building on theachievements to increase IJGO’s reach stillfurther and communicate the latest research andthinking in the specialty to clinicians andhealthcare professionals worldwide.’

In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | May 2016

FIGO has recently recruited to complement its PPIUD Initiative team (‘InstitutionalisingPost-Partum IUD Services and IncreasingAccess to Information and Education onContraception and Safe Abortion Services’):Dr Linda de Caestecker (Deputy ProjectDirector) and Jennifer Brown (ProjectAssistant).

Linda joined FIGO inJuly 2015 with afocus on deliveringthe FIGO Initiative onInstitutionalisation ofPost-Partum IUDServices. She hasalso taken on the roleof overseeing all FIGOprojects and is amember of the FIGOSenior ManagementTeam.

She was previously Director of Public Health(DPH) in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, anarea with some of the most disadvantagedcommunities in the UK. She started her clinicalcareer as an obstetrician and gynecologist,latterly working in Ghana. She then retrained inpublic health, retaining an interest in maternaland child health. While DPH, she served on theCommission for Women Offenders in Scotland,led work on age-ranges for cervical screening inScotland and participated in national work on

maternity and paediatric services. Linda holdsan honorary chair at the University of Glasgowand has published papers on gynecologicalcancer and early childhood interventions.

Linda said: ‘I was delighted to join FIGO, beingparticularly pleased to be part of the PPIUDinitiative with its major potential to savemothers’ and babies’ lives. This is an excitingtime for FIGO to develop its projects, whichinclude Fistula Surgery Training, MaternalNutrition, Hyperglycemia in Pregnancy, EssentialInterventions in Reproductive Health andHelping Mothers Survive.

‘I have had a fascinating time in my first sixmonths with travel to countries in Asia andAfrica to support training. I am convinced thatindividuals with the right amount of inspirationand application can change the world for thebetter and I have been privileged to meet manysuch people around the world. Deliveringchange, whether it is institutionalising PPIUD, orpromoting goodwill, will not be easy, buttenacity, relationship-building and flexibility arecritical parts of the journey and I look forward tothe challenge.

‘Throughout my career I have worked inpartnership with a range of agencies andorganisations, with different ways of working,but shared aims to improve health and well-being. I hope that I can bring that experience toFIGO and am pleased to be part of the new

FIGO Working Group on Contraception whichbrings together many of the key organisationsworking in this field.’

Jennifer has joinedthe team as ProjectAssistant, with abackground inInternationalDevelopment andSexual andReproductive HealthRights, obtainingdegrees from SOAS,University of London,and the University ofthe Witwatersrand,Johannesburg.

She has lived and worked in India and SouthAfrica, publishing research on the provision ofsexual health education in South Africanschools and working for HIVSA on anadolescent health programme, utilising mHealthapplications. She later joined CIVICUS: WorldAlliance for Citizen Participation, as aPartnerships Officer where she worked tostrengthen collaboration across globally diversesectors of civil society.

Jennifer said: ‘I have a passion for reproductiverights and am delighted to join the team to helpimprove the provision of long-acting reversiblecontraception in the post-partum period.’

Dr Linda de Caestecker

L–R: Newcomers Sean Fitzpatrick and Antonia Glanfield, with Abi Cantor (Managing Editor) and Clare Addington(Publications Manager)

FIGO PUBLICATIONS

PEOPLEFIGO strengthens PPIUD team

We’re delighted to announce that FIGO hasnow opened a YouTube channel to showcaseits videos.

Current uploads include the Inaugural MahmoudFathalla Lecture at the FIGO World Congress ofGynecology and Obstetrics in Vancouver,Canada (Monday 5 October 2015) – this wasmemorably delivered by Eve Ensler, the TonyAward winning playwright, activist and author ofthe theatrical phenomenon ‘The VaginaMonologues’ which has been published in 48languages and performed in over 140 countries.

A special series of panel presentations onAdolescent, Preconception and MaternalNutrition at the FIGO World Congress inVancouver last year can also be viewed.

You can access the channel easily via theYouTube icon on the www.figo.org homepage –alternatively, the films are viewable atwww.figo.org/videos.

11In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | May 2016

FIGO RESOURCES AND EVENTSFIGO now on YouTube! Founder of the global

Safe Motherhoodmovement opens lecturearchivesA compilation of lectures, speeches,statements and quotations by ProfessorMahmoud F Fathalla (FIGO Past President1994–1997), unarguably the greatestWomen’s Health Rights champion in thelast century, has been given to FIGO by thegreat man himself.

Having originally been made available for theattendees of the FIGO World Congress inVancouver, in October 2015, the archive nowresides permanently on the FIGO website atwww.figo.org/lectures-speeches-Professor-Mahmoud-Fathalla.

Divided into four main areas – Women’sHealth and Rights; Women’s Sexual andReproductive Health and Rights; Women’sRights to Safe Motherhood; and Women,Population and Family Planning – theeloquent compilation exudes concern,compassion and huge respect for thewomen of the world, and asks importantquestions of global healthcare providers.

Professor Mahmoud F Fathalla

‘A world where no woman is deniedaccess to her right to health and life’…‘Be brave and angry’… ‘Imagine a worldwhere motherhood is safe for allwomen’… ‘A world that womendeserve’…

FIGO knows that Professor Fathalla’s wordswill continue to resonate with women andtheir care-givers, as the global communitybegins to progress the new SustainableDevelopment Goals for health in earnest.

FIGO boosts Facebook profile!FIGO has significantly boosted its presence onFacebook since the start of 2016 and has gainedover 450 new ‘likes’ in the past four months,taking the total to over 2,700. Recent messagesto the page have included enquiries about thenext FIGO Congress, and questions about theFIGO membership process. Visitwww.facebook.com/FIGO.org/ and showyour support for FIGO by clicking on the newFacebook post feedback icons.

Popular FIGO resource: What’s in The FIGO FertilityToolbox™?Seven Tools to help you tackle the disease/disability ofinfertility! Each Tool provides information on how tomanage a particular aspect of infertility:

Tool 1: The FIGOFertility Daisy –why we shouldcare aboutinfertilityTool 2: OvercomePersonal BarriersTool 3: Overcome Societal BarriersTool 4: Diagnose InfertilityTool 5: Treat InfertilityTool 6: Refer/Resolve InfertilityTool 7: Prevent Infertility

Professionals (and the public) can visit this superb free tailored resource at www.fertilitytool.com.

Diary Dates18th ISPOG Congress12–14 May 2016, Málaga, Spainwww.ispog2016.esACOG Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting14–17 May 2016, Washington, USAwww.acog.org/About-ACOG/ACOG-Departments/Annual-MeetingWomen Deliver16–19 May 2016, Copenhagen, Denmarkwww.womendeliver.org/conferences/2016-conference13th Congress of the European Federationof Sexology25–28 May 2016, Dubrovnik, Croatiawww.web.aimgroupinternational.com/2016/efsEuropean Spontaneous Pre-Term Birth Congress26–28 May 2016, Gothenburg, Swedenwww.espbc.se

40th Nordic Conference of Obstetrics and Gynecology12–15 June, Helsinki, Finlandwww.confedent.fi/nfog2016European Congress of Perinatal Medicine(ECPM)15–18 June 2016, Maastricht, the Netherlandswww.eiseverywhere.com//ehome/144836RCOG World Congress 201620–22 June 2016, Birmingham, UKwww.rcog2016.comFOGSI-FIGO: Conference on Best Practices,Breakthrough and Current Dilemmas inOBGYN24–26 June 2016, Pune, Indiawww.fogsi-figopune2016.com/important-dates.php

ESHRE Annual Meeting 2016 (EuropeanSociety of Human Reproduction andEmbryology)3–6 July 2016, Helsinki, Finlandwww.eshre2016.eu49th Annual Meeting of the Society for theStudy of Reproduction16–20 July 2016, California, USAwww.ssr.org/16Meeting10th Athens Congress on Women’s Health and Disease1–3 September 2016, Athens, Greecewww.womenshealth2016.comEuropean Society of GynaecologicalOncology (ESGO) 20168–10 September 2016, Antalya, Turkeywww.soaconference.esgo.org

FIGO accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of the external event information. Inclusion of any event does notnecessarily mean that FIGO either endorses or supports it (unless otherwise stated)