International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) has been awarded a grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to implement a project on “Improving Maternal and Newborn Health in low resource countries through Strengthening the Roles of Obstetric and Gynaecological National Associations” as a major maternal and newborn health Initiative.
Eight Partner Organizations from Asia and Africa have been selected to participate in this initiative, and The Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI) has been selected to lead the initiative in India. The project goal is to improve policy and practice by strengthening FIGO member associations and using their position and knowledge to facilitate and contribute to such improvements, leading to better maternal and newborn health for underserved populations in low and middle resource countries.
As part of the project FOGSI in partnership with Government of India – Maternal Health Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is working on the following initiatives.
Emergency Obstetric Care Curriculum
As part of FIGO LOGIC, FOGSI has – together with the GoI and other partners – been working on revising the Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) training curriculum. The curriculum will dovetail other Government Maternal and Child Health and Reproductive and Child Health programme guidelines into EmOC. FOGSI expects the release of the revised curriculum by mid-2013.
Maternal Near Miss Reviews
FOGSI is currently working with GoI and six medical colleges in six States across India to develop contextual near miss definitions and tools with the aim to have these definitions and tools approved by the GoI and implemented across India. The definitions and tools will assist health facilities with investigating causes of and circumstances surrounding maternal near misses, that is, when women survive obstetric complications..
Maternal Death Review Programme
FOGSI is implementing a maternal death review programme in two districts of Rajasthan (Sikar and Jhunjhunu). The maternal death review reports are analysed and the findings shared with the District and State authorities. The review programme in these two districts has identified that women die due to the following: delay in seeking care; death during transfer to a health facility with better facilities and in which health workers with necessary skills are present; and inability of the health facility to provide services due to lack of blood storage, skilled health professionals and/or availability of drugs.
Maternal Death Review Software
FOGSI has been working with GoI to develop a maternal death review software. This will enable GoI and health facilities across the countryto analyse the causes of maternal deaths and identify the delays that contribute to maternal deaths at various levels. Based on the findings, GoI can then initiate steps to help overcome the causes leading to a maternal death. The software is currently in its final stages of deployment and will be rolled-out across India in the near future.
