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FIGO’s agenda attracts globalopinion leaders to Florence
In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | December 2016 1
International Federation ofGynecology and [email protected] December 2016
I then travelled to Colombo to attend the 1stSouth Asia and Asia Pacific InternationalCongress on Diabetes, Hypertension & MetabolicSyndrome in Pregnancy. The ‘ColomboDeclaration’ was signed during the openingceremony – it is a regional call to action toaddress the link between maternal health anddiabetes as a public health priority. The
document also highlights FIGOrecommendations on hyperglycemia inpregnancy (HIP) and advocates for theirimplementation.
FIGO’s HIP Working Group was involved in thecreation of the Declaration, and the first signatorywas the Sri Lankan Minister of Health andIndigenous Medicine, Hon. Dr Rajitha Senaratne,followed by FIGO dignitaries: myself; ProfessorMoshe Hod; Dr Hema Divakar; and Dr Anil Kapur.Nearly 18 per cent of pregnant women in theregion suffer from hyperglycemia in pregnancy,with major consequences for the mother,newborn baby and the risk of diabetes in bothmother and child later in life, resulting in anational health issue.
I attended a conference in Hyderabad on bestpractices and controversies – a public forum wasalso present (via a city cycle rally) to say ‘No toGender Violence’. This was attended bygovernment officials, the police and socialactivists, with FIGO and FIGO’s Indian MemberSociety, FOGSI, supporting the initiative.
The International Federation of Fertility Societies’(IFFS) meeting was held in Delhi from 22–24September, attended by over 2,500 visitors. Iwas honoured to chair the FIGO-IFFS conferenceoration. The FIGO Committee for ReproductiveMedicine, Endocrinology and Infertility was therein full strength and participated in a colourfulinauguration with the Minister for Health for Stateas the Chief Guest. The Committee Chair, DrEdgar Mocanu, and I had the opportunity – alongwith other Committee members – to havedeliberations with the team from the World HealthOrganization (WHO); we agreed to co-operatewith all fertility societies and agree on uniformpolicies, especially with respect to consideringinfertility as a health problem – this will allowmuch needed insurance support to be possiblefor fertility treatment, which is currently beyondthe reach of an average earning couple.
October saw some very important meetings,starting with a Gujarat state conference where Iparticipated in an inauguration, and gave aspeech on near-miss reviews.
This was followed by a high-profile meeting,
Interview with new FIGO Chief Executive | Introducing the World Association of Trainees in Obstetrics and Gynecology (WATOG) | FIGO and the Colombo Declaration |Special feature from the International Urogynecological Association (IUGA)
INSIDE:
Dear ColleaguesIt has been an eventful three months, with manyimportant meetings around the world.
September began with the London meeting ofthe FIGO Working Group for Preterm Birth,supported by March of Dimes, which wasextremely fruitful.
continued on page 2
L–R: Professor C N Purandare, FIGO President; Professor Seija Grenman, FIGO Vice President; Professor Luis Cabero-Roura,Chair of the FIGO World Congress 2018 Organising Committee; Dr Carlos Füchtner, FIGO President-Elect; and Professor GianCarlo Di Renzo, FIGO Honorary Secretary
FIGO’s agenda attracts global opinion leaders to Florencecontinued from page 1
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endorsed by FIGO and many others, such asWomen Deliver, WHO, Gavi, the Government ofIndia and the American Cancer Society. It wasorganised by Global Health Strategies on‘Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control in Indiaand Beyond: A Comprehensive ApproachTowards Elimination’. While India has achieved areduction in deaths due to maternal mortality to44,000 per year, cervical cancer deaths number67,000 per year. FIGO emphasised the greaturgency – gains in saving lives through areduction in maternal mortality are lost throughwomen dying from a preventable cause likecancer of the cervix.
I visited Mozambique for the PMNCH (WHO)meeting to debate and work on the StrategicObjectives and the implementation of Every
Professor Purandarein Hyderabad at theViolence AgainstWomen Public Forum(August 2016)
Professor Purandare speaking at the concluding session in Florence
Professor Purandare (centre) with the ‘Textbook of Diabetes and Pregnancy’ (third edition), edited byProfessor Moshe Hod, Chair of the FIGO Hyperglycemia in Pregnancy Working Group (right)
Woman Every Child – no-one should be leftbehind, especially in the African Region.
The highlight of the last few months has been thejoint conference of FIGO and WHO in Florence inearly November – the Global Conference onMaternal Infant Health – where jointrecommendations were produced, together withother participating bodies, after intensedeliberation. These recommendations will besubmitted to the Italian Government so that itcan refer the document to next year’s G7meeting for consideration. The Vatican alsoinvited all key players for a one-day discourse onmaternal, newborn and adolescent health.
My last assignment was at the inauguration ofthe International Conference on Gestosis, alongwith FOGSI, which took place in Mumbai,attended by over 2,500 delegates.
The new FIGO Chief Executive, Johan Vos, tookover the organisation in mid-September, and isworking on a new strategic direction from 2017onwards.
The planning of the 2018 FIGO World Congressis in full swing, and we will keep you updated inthe coming months.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and HappyNew Year.
Best wishes
Professor C N PurandareFIGO President2015–2018
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Professor Purandare at thePMNCH meeting in Mozambiquewith Mrs Graça Machel, BoardChair (centre), and Mrs FrancesGanges, Chief Executive of theInternational Confederation ofMidwives (ICM)
Visiting FIGO’s Member Society in Mozambique
(President Dr Nafissa BiqueOsman is in white)
In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | December 2016
CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S OVERVIEW
In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | December 2016 3
do more to strengthen communication bothinternally and externally.
FIGO’s dedicated staff members often work overand above what is asked of them. There areopportunities to enhance our work, bettersupport the Committees and Working Groupsand undertake more work that directly makes adifference to women around the world who needour help and support, particularly in low- andmiddle-income countries.
How do you switch off from thedemands of the job?I play tennis, swim, bike or walk, mostly with mychildren (Alexander, 10, and Elizabeth, eight),who are my treasures. I also own a classic Britishsports saloon, and working on it helps me relax!Driving through the countryside is lovely, too – if Ican get all the pieces to fit back together!
I also enjoy music and history, playing chess andspending time with my friends and family. I amvery much a ‘people’ person and enjoy meetingand getting to know others.
I want to thank you for making me feel verywelcome in FIGO. It has been a great pleasuregetting to know the FIGO family. I look forward toworking together and serving women’s healthglobally.
Johan VosFIGO Chief Executive
FIGO HouseWaterloo Court, 10 Theed StreetLondon SE1 8ST, UKTel: +44 20 7928 1166Fax: +44 20 7928 7099Email: [email protected]
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:Johan Vos
Readers are invited to refer items for consideration byemail to [email protected] no later than 27 February 2017 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
Johan has over 20 years’ experience workingwithin the charity/not-for-profit sector, and hasextensive experience of leadership withinnational and international health charities andmembership-based organisations. His mostrecent position was as Deputy ExecutiveDirector at Alzheimer’s Disease International(ADI) where he gained significant experience ofadvocacy and influencing global, regional andnational health agendas with Governments andinternational health agencies such as the WorldHealth Organization (WHO).
In addition, Johan has represented ADI on theglobal stage, negotiated and managed strategicpartnerships with global industry (includingpharma) and has wide-ranging experience ofpolicy and membership development. Prior tothis, he worked within senior leadership andincome development roles for the world’s leadingcharities that include Alzheimer’s New Zealand,Arthritis New Zealand and UNICEF New Zealand.
Q and A with Johan VosJohan, welcome to FIGO! Tell us alittle about your background.I was born in Holland but was fortunate at ayoung age to have lived in a number of differentcountries.
My father’s work took us to Venezuela and Chilein the 70s when I was five. Seeing poverty andinequality made a huge impression on me as achild. Learning Spanish and English, as well asappreciating new cultures, taught me valuable lifelessons such as openness, compassion andmaking a difference to people less fortunate. Italso taught me resilience – changing houses andschools, learning new languages and makingnew friends was not always easy!
In Chile we lived under the dictatorship ofGeneral Pinochet. As a family, we helped wherewe could, including supplying food to orphanagehomes and later adopting my Chilean sister atthree years of age. After returning to Holland forsome years, we then moved to New Zealand. Ifinished high school, studied marketing andmanagement and began my career, moving toLondon to live four years ago.
What attracted you about workingfor FIGO?My experiences of living abroad at a young agehave shaped who I am today.
Early on I decided on a personal goal – to helppeople achieve better life outcomes through myprofessional work. I have been fortunate andprivileged to work for leading NGOs like UNICEF,where I started my career. I have predominantlyworked for national and international health- andmembership-based organisations. Using mymanagement skills I was able to build strongteams and best position these organisations for
FIGO welcomes a new Chief Executive!Johan Vos was appointed to the role of FIGO Chief Executive in September 2016.
success. Prior to joining FIGO, I was with ADI –similar in structure to FIGO. During my time there,I was able to strengthen membershipassociations, open a regional office in the AsiaPacific, build new programmes and achievesuccess in advocacy and income development.
Joining FIGO provides me with the opportunity touse 20 years of knowledge and skills tochampion women’s health and to help supportthe noble profession of obstetrics andgynecology. I have a strong moral compass andwill lead FIGO as Chief Executive with my ownpersonal values in mind. I look forward toworking with the FIGO Officers and ExecutiveBoard to define the strategic direction and goals,and then my team and I will implement this. I willprovide a safe pair of hands for changes that willenable FIGO to become stronger and achievenew levels of success – ultimately this will meanthat women are better supported.
What do you see as the mainchallenges/opportunities ahead forFIGO in the next few years?I think FIGO has a rich history and isexceptionally well served by so many dedicatedprofessionals who give their time so willingly.Women’s health is a very broad topic and FIGOwill need to define what areas it wants to focuson or risk having its message diluted. FIGO canbetter support its national societies. Buildingcapacity and strengthening them means they arebetter able to represent women’s health togovernments and policy makers. I would also liketo see more women in leadership roles!
I would like to see FIGO have a stronger voiceglobally and strengthen its existing relationshipsto work more collaboratively. I think we can also
4 In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | December 2016
FIGO was recently involved in the creation andsigning of a landmark document calling forincreased focus and commitment onHyperglycemia in Pregnancy (HIP) in the SouthAsian region.
The ‘Colombo Declaration’ was signed duringthe opening ceremony of the 1st South Asia andAsia Pacific International Congress on Diabetes,Hypertension & Metabolic Syndrome inPregnancy held in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 8–10 September. It is a regional call to action toaddress the link between maternal health anddiabetes as a public health priority. Thedocument also highlights FIGOrecommendations on HIP and advocates for theirimplementation.
Hyperglycemia is one of the most commonmedical conditions affecting women duringpregnancy, impacting an estimated quarter of alllive births in South Asia. Pregnancies affected byHIP are subject to increased risk ofcomplications – hypertension, obstructed labour,post-partum haemorrhage, infections, still births,premature delivery, newborn deaths due torespiratory problems, hypoglycemia and birthinjuries.
Eight countries account for 55 per cent of globallive births as well as 55 per cent of the globalburden of diabetes; three of these are in SouthAsia – India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Despitethese high numbers and the fact that SouthAsian women are considered to have thegreatest vulnerability for gestational diabetes(GDM), routine testing of all pregnant women isnot undertaken. Without testing, women are notdiagnosed and their condition is not managed.Also, without preventive care, almost half of thewomen with gestational diabetes will go on todevelop type 2 diabetes and significantproportions develop premature cardiovascular
disease within 10 years of childbirth. Childrenborn to women with gestational diabetes are alsoat very high risk of obesity, early onset type 2diabetes and cardiovascular disease, making thisan intergenerational concern.
For these reasons the Colombo Declaration wascreated where signatories pledge to supportefforts to raise public awareness of the linkbetween maternal health and diabetes and theimpact of HIP on maternal and child health; forpolicy makers and providers to encouragepreconception counselling, antenatal care andpost-natal follow up; to ensure all pregnantwomen are tested for HIP; and to ensure thatthere is appropriate care, including post-partum,to better attend the high-risk mother child pairfollowing a pregnancy affected by GDM.
Signatories also pledge to accelerate theimplementation of the FIGO guidelines forgestational diabetes in South Asia. Theseguidelines (www.ijgo.org/issue/S0020-7292(15)X0015-4) were created by the FIGO Working
Group on HIP, chaired by Professor Moshe Hod,published in 2015.
The Working Group was involved in the creationof the Colombo Declaration which was signed atthe opening ceremony of the conference. Thefirst signatory was the Sri Lankan Minister ofHealth and Indigenous Medicine, Hon. Dr RajithaSenaratne, followed by FIGO dignitaries:President, Professor CN Purandare; ProfessorMoshe Hod; Dr Hema Divakar; and Dr Anil Kapur.
Working at the forefront of this internationalmovement to improve maternal health and meetthe challenges of the non-communicable diseaseepidemic, it is the FIGO HIP Working Group’sintention that the Colombo Declaration is just thefirst of many such regional pledges that will leadto a global declaration at the FIGO WorldCongress in Brazil in 2018.
For more information, see: www.figo.org/hyperglycemia-pregnancy-project.Report courtesy of Jessica Morris, FIGO Project Manager
FIGO signs the Colombo Declaration: fighting the diabetes epidemic in South Asia
FIGO NEWS
The success of the FIGO Fistula Surgery Training Initiative – to build thecapacities of fistula surgeons in accredited training centres, using theFIGO Global Competency-Based Fistula Surgery Training Manual –continues apace. The Initiative helps dedicated physicians to acquirethe knowledge, skills and professionalism needed to prevent obstetricfistula, and provide high quality surgical, medical and psychosocialcare to women who have incurred fistula, whether during childbirth orbecause of inflicted trauma.
Gillian Slinger, Project Manager, third from left; Lilli Trautvetter, Project Assistant, thirdfrom right
Gillian Slinger, Project Manager, explains: ‘From the beginning of theInitiative in 2012 until the end of 2016, 61 Fellows have been involved inan ongoing manner in the programme and have done training placements
in FIGO Accredited Training Centres in the following countries: Ethiopia,Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda.
‘We’re delighted to report that an additional 15 new Fellows joined theProgramme in 2016, including some from high-need countries that arenew to the project eg Somaliland, Somalia, Angola, Sudan and Zambia.To provide additional training and support to Fellows on the Programme, acarefully planned coaching schedule was developed in 2016, with one- totwo-week visits by Accredited Trainers taking place for Fellows in theirhome facilities in Bangladesh, Kenya, Uganda, Nepal, Tanzania andnumerous sites in Nigeria.
‘Keeping track of our success has been a key objective! Fellow surveyshave been undertaken as the Programme has grown – increasingnumbers of surgical fistula repairs are being done by Fellows as theinitiative continues to gain momentum.
eg• August 2016 → Total repairs by all Fellows since initial training placement = 2,840
(86% success rate)
‘Our quarterly newsletter, which was launched in December 2014, nowhas 500-plus subscribers, and continues to be very popular.
‘In October 2016, the Fistula Project team took part in the biennialConference of the International Society of Obstetric Fistula Surgeons(ISOFS), in Abuja, Nigeria, and had the opportunity to give a presentationon the Training Programme, as well as to personally thank many Trainersand Fellows present for their vital contributions to the Initiative and to helpaffected women all over the world.’
Gillian ended: ‘The next exciting phase of the project will include furtherexpansion, with continued admission of Fellows from new, high-needcountries, while moving towards programmatic consolidation, byreinforcing and developing the skills and activities of all Fellows already onthe Programme.’
FIGO Fistula Surgery Training Initiative – from strength to strength in 2016
5In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | December 2016
What’s happening inUrogynecology? –A ‘spotlight’ on the InternationalUrogynecologicalAssociation (IUGA)By Tsung-Hsien (Charles) Su, MD, PhD, FIGO Urogynecologyand Pelvic Floor Committee Chair and G Willy Davila, MD, IUGAPast President
FIGO COLLABORATIONS
The International Urogynecological Association(IUGA) is the largest professional associationfocusing on female pelvic floor problems. AsPast-Presidents of the association, we havehelped it become the premier source ofinformation and education for clinicians whoseprofessional interest is centered onurogynecology. Among the many fruitfulrelationships IUGA has fostered over the years,we are the most pleased by the growingworking relationship with FIGO.
Partnership with the FIGOUrogynecology and Pelvic FloorCommitteeIn 2015, FIGO developed a new Committee onUrogynecology and Pelvic Floor which has verystrong links to IUGA as all members of thisCommittee have, at one time, been involved withIUGA. Since IUGA has existed for more than 40years, it has tremendous influence on thedevelopment of science in the field ofurogynecology and it will support this Committeeby providing input on academics and policy.Between the expertise provided by IUGAmembers and FIGO’s links with organisationssuch as the World Health Organization (WHO),this Committee has the potential to make a hugeimpact in the realm of female pelvic health.
The Committee was created to promote theglobal standard of women’s healthcare in thelower urinary tract (LUT); establish a platform forphysicians to obtain more knowledge abouturogynecology; and promote the development ofscience, knowledge and technique in the worldof pelvic floor dysfunction. It is currently workingon establishing a guideline on the use oftransvaginal mesh for pelvic floor reconstruction.This effort is along the lines of IUGA’s previouslypublished recommendations on appropriate usesof synthetic mesh in reconstructive surgery. TheCommittee will also set up a guideline on theminimal knowledge required for obstetricians andgynecologists that will meet the requirements fortheir daily practice.
The IUGA AcademyIUGA members now have access to hundreds ofwebcasts, abstract presentations, surgicalvideos, podcasts and more via the new IUGAAcademy. The Academy is a one-stop shop forIUGA members’ e-learning needs. Members cansearch for e-learning material based ondysfunction (like stress incontinence or anoveractive bladder), an annual meeting year orcontributor – finding what you are looking for issuper easy! You must be logged-in as an IUGAmember to view the content.
The Surgical DatabaseAt its 2016 meeting in Cape Town, IUGAlaunched a test version of a surgical database
which will allow users to collect pre-, intra- andpost-operative data and print reports based onthis information. The surgical database is forIUGA members only and allows members to self-monitor their treatment outcomes and/orcombine their data with other centres.
IUGA 2017 in Vancouver, CanadaJoin us next June as IUGA heads to Vancouverfor its 42nd Annual Meeting (at the same venue
as FIGO’s meeting last year)! This meeting won’tdisappoint, with a full day of didactic and hands-on workshops, state-of-the art lectures, two anda half days of abstract presentations, regionalmeetings, a vibrant social programme and muchmore. Save www.iugameeting.org/ to yourbookmarks’ tab and visit it frequently forupdates. We hope to see you there!
For more information about IUGA, please visitwww.iuga.org.
FIGO Preterm Birth Working Group sets robust agendafor 2017The latest meeting of the FIGO/March of Dimes Working Group on Preterm Birth took place inearly October at the offices of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG)in London. With the full attendance of the group – including several new members – specialistsin the field from around the world participated in a lively debate on a number of topics relatingto preterm birth.
The Preterm Birth Working Group in London
In September this year, the group published its paper – ‘Cross-Country Individual ParticipantAnalysis of 4.1 Million Singleton Births in 5 Countries with Very High Human Development IndexConfirms Known Associations but Provides No Biologic Explanation for 2/3 of All Preterm Births’[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27622562]. This used country-level data from four high-incomecountries – with a total of over four million births – to assess the contributions of known risk factorsfor both spontaneous and provider-initiated preterm birth. The paper goes on to estimate thepotential impact of successful interventions due to advances in research, policy and public health,or clinical practice.
Discussion at the meeting centred on additional activities for the group, including an upcomingcommentary on the paper, and several events in Latin America that follow up its publication. On9–10 December 2016, the group will host an event in San Jose, Costa Rica, entitled Infertility,Assisted Reproduction and Preterm Birth. This will be attended by a number of representativesfrom the Costa Rican government; the Asociacion de Obstetricia y Ginecologia de Costa Rica; andregional and international experts, among other influential individuals. This event is in line with theagreement made in 2013 between FIGO and March of Dimes, where the two organisations agreedto apply the findings from the work in high-income countries to middle-income countries in LatinAmerica, utilising existing links which the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists haswith FIGO Member Societies. Later in 2017, the group plans to hold a similar event in Uruguay.
These joint efforts mark the continued excellent relationship between FIGO and March of Dimes.On 17 November, FIGO supported the March of Dimes’ campaign on World Prematurity Day, aswell as supporting efforts during Prematurity Awareness Month (November).
Report courtesy of Matthew Pretty, FIGO Project Co-ordinator
Tsung-Hsien (Charles) Su, MD, PhD;FIGO Urogynecology and Pelvic FloorCommittee Chair
G Willy Davila, MD, IUGA PastPresident
6 In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | December 2016
By Petra Gabor (Hungary), WATOG General SecretaryEncouraged by the example of their owncountry, a couple of young doctors in Francehad the idea of creating a world association fortrainees in obstetrics and gynecology. Theproject was welcomed by FIGO, whoseOfficers had long wanted to find a way tomobilise the youngest members of ourprofession.
The World Association of Trainees in Obstetricsand Gynecology (WATOG) was founded on 7 October 2012 under the auspices of FIGO. On that day representatives from 73 countriesunanimously supported its founding. Today, fouryears later, 80 countries are represented in theassociation.
WATOG is a non-profit organisation whose mainmission is to help every OB/GYN trainee in theworld to access the highest level of education,overcome cultural and gender barriers andfacilitate contact and exchange betweenmembers from different countries.
WATOG’s first concern is to promote thefoundation and sustaining of OB/GYN traineeassociations at national and regional levels. Toachieve this, it encourages and helps traineeinitiatives but it also collaborates with FIGO andother national and regional senior associations to
strengthen the connection between young andsenior representatives of the profession.
The final goal is to integrate the involvement ofOB/GYN trainees in global issues pertaining toreproductive healthcare, especially those of themother, foetus and newborn, but also women’shealthcare in general.
Any young professional who has started his orher OB/GYN specialisation not more than tenyears ago is considered to be a young OB/GYNand can be a WATOG member. The traineestatus is reserved for those who are enrolled inthe nationally recognised training programme,but who have not yet completed training norreceived certification as a specialist in obstetricsand gynecology.
The association has been divided into sixgeographical regions: Europe, Asia, LatinAmerica, North America, Africa and Oceania.Every region has two representatives who reportto WATOG and whose task is to promotenetworking within the region and support thecreation of local trainee organisations. Europe isrepresented by the European Network ofTrainees in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ENTOG)within WATOG. ENTOG’s 20 years’ experience innetworking provides an example and guidancefor other countries and regions.
WATOG wishes to create a platform wheretrainees can connect, exchange information andlearn from one another with a common goal ofimproving the quality of care and women’s health.Thanks to the individual effort of its voluntaryorganising members and the support of a few
sponsors, it has financed the participation oftrainees from numerous member countries at theWATOG General Assembly during the FIGOCongress in 2012 and again in 2015. This is anincredible opportunity for trainees from all overthe world to meet, exchange ideas and network.Furthermore, it facilitates the engagement ofyouth in the future of our specialty.
During the last four years, a lot of progress hasbeen achieved. WATOG had a role in thepromotion of national trainee organisations –independently or within the existing seniorsociety – in 15 countries (Mexico, Tunisia,Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Salvador, Bolivia,Nigeria, Egypt, Japan, Russia, Burkina Faso,Sudan, Turkey and South Africa).
The network is getting stronger via onlinecommunication (www.watog.org) and throughsocial media (Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/watog, and Twitter: twitter.com/WATOG_org). We are working on a website foreducational content that can be easily and freelyaccessible for trainees all around the world(www.watog-campus.org). Our aim is tobecome a platform that not only trainees but alsosenior societies can use to pass information toother young professionals worldwide. For anyenquiries, do not hesitate to contact us [email protected].
The active members of WATOG keep working tostrengthen this network, where every trainee fromevery country will be able to benefit freely fromthe exchange of information and collaboration ona global level.
INTRODUCING WATOG
New addition to FIGOFinance DepartmentThe FIGO Finance Department has beenrecently strengthened with the addition ofAdedire Pitan as Finance Co-ordinator.
Adedire is an ACCA (part qualified)accountant, with over nine years’ experiencewithin the public and charity sectors. He joinsFIGO having previously worked for majorpublic and charity organisations, includingSave the Children, the Department forCommunities and Local Government, theMetropolitan Housing Trust, the Competitionand Markets Authority, and Shakespeare’s‘Globe’.
He said: ‘I am delighted to join FIGO, anorganisation that embraces change. I believethat an accountant’s role helps to play asubstantial part in the effective running ofprogrammes around the world. This reallygives a sense of purpose to my daily work.’
WATOG members at the second General Assembly of the FIGO World Congress in Vancouver, 2015
FIGO-WATOG meeting in September 2016 – ProfessorHamid Rushwan (then FIGO Chief Executive) and WATOGOfficers: Dr Olivier Ami, President; Dr Petra Gabor, GeneralSecretary; and Dr Magali Barbier, ENTOG representative
The first WATOG Executive Committee at the FIGO WorldCongress in Rome, 2012
Adedire Pitan, Finance Co-ordinator
7In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | December 2016
The ‘Power of Programming’…EVENTS, PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES
An international conference on developmentalorigins of adiposity and long-term health tookplace from 13–15 October 2016 in Munich.
FIGO occupied a booth and several Members ofthe FIGO Working Group for Adolescent, Pre-conception and Maternal Nutrition deliveredkeynote presentations, including the Chair,Professor Mark Hanson, who chaired andpresented in a number of sessions.
Matthew Pretty, Project Co-ordinator on the FIGONutrition Initiative, said: “This was a key event inthe calendar for the developmental origins ofhealth and disease (DOHaD) agendas, and thusan important opportunity for FIGO to disseminatethe messages of their nutrition recommendationsand the importance of good nutrition throughoutthe life course.’
Videos from the FIGO Congress 2015 Nutritionsessions are viewable at: www.figo.org/videos.
Diary Dates2nd World Congress on RecurrentPregnancy Loss19–22 January, Cannes, Francewww.2017.wcrpl.com/
60th All India Congress of Obstetrics andGynaecology25–29 January 2017, Ahmadabad, Indiawww.aicog2017.com/index.html
The 25th AC and Silver Jubilee Celebrationof the Ethiopian Society of Obstetriciansand Gynecologists (ESOG) and the 2nd ACof the African Federation of Obstetrics andGynecology (AFOG)2–4 February 2017, Addis Ababa, Ethiopiawww.esog.weebly.com/
9th International DIP Symposium onDiabetes, Hypertension, MetabolicSyndrome and Pregnancy8–12 March 2017, Barcelona, Spainwww.comtecmed.com/dip/2017/welcome.aspx
RCOG World Congress 201720–22 March 2017, Cape Town, South Africawww.rcog2017.com/Congress of the Asia Pacific Initiative onReproduction (ASPIRE 2017)30 March–2 April 2017, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysiawww.aspire2017.com/International Federation of Cervical Pathologyand Colposcopy (IFCPC) 2017 WorldCongress4–7 April, 2017, Orlando, United Stateswww.ifcpc2017.com/Default.aspxThe 69th Annual Congress of the JapanSociety of Obstetrics and Gynecology13–16 April 2017, Hiroshima, Japanwww.jsog.umin.ac.jp/69/index69.html1st World Congress on Maternal FetalNeonatal Medicine24–26 April 2017, London, UKwww.mcascientificevents.eu/worldmfnm2017
2017 ACOG Annual Clinical and ScientificMeeting6–9 May 2017, San Diego, USAwww.acog.org/Education-and-Events13th World Congress on Endometriosis17–20 May 2017, Vancouver, British Columbia,Canadawww.endometriosis.ca/world-congress/wce201711th European Congress on Menopauseand Andropause22–24 May 2017, Amsterdam, Netherlandswww.emas-online.org/default2017.asp25th Asian and Oceanic Congress ofObstetrics and Gynaecology (AOCOG)15–18 June 2017, Hong Kongwww.aocog2017.com
FIGO accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of theexternal event information. Inclusion of any event doesnot necessarily mean that FIGO either endorses orsupports it (unless otherwise stated)
Take your pick –IJGO offers freeEditor’s choiceevery monthFIGO’s journal, the InternationalJournal of Gynecology andObstetrics, offers a free paperto view each month – theEditor’s Monthly Pick – whichcan be accessed atwww.figo.org/international-journal-gynecology-obstetricsThere are also a number ofother useful free to view papersand supplements availableincluding the 2015 WorldReport on Women’s Healthand the 2015 FIGO CancerReport. Visitwww.figo.org/free-view toaccess the selection.
Free women’s health newsfeed atwww.figo.orgFIGO provides a free women’s healthnewsfeed on its website, which is written byan independent news agency. This ‘one-stopshop’ features the latest global stories onissues such as female genital mutilation(FGM), fertility, gynecology and technology,gynecology and the law, gynecology andwomen’s health, the menopause, newborns’health and oncology.
Visit www.figo.org/news/womens-health-newsfeed.
Matthew Pretty in Munich
