Women and children bear brunt ofclimate change – world must act now

In ternat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | May 2014 1

Retirement of FIGO’s Administrative Director | Vancouver 2015 update | Record submissions to IJGO | FIGO gains ground on PPIUD project | Bolivian Society’s free training in PPH

prevention and treatment | New FIGO Diabetes Initiative kicks off with London meeting

continued on page 2

International Federation ofGynecology and ObstetricsFFIIGGOOFIGO

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communications@figo.orgwww.figo.org May 2014

Dear ColleaguesFIGO’s sympathies extend to the millions affectedby natural disasters and by ever-increasing wars,civil unrest and accidents. The Syrian situation,new unrest in Ukraine, and the Malaysia Airlinesflight disappearance sadden us all. These highprofile events obviously catch our eyes, but thereis a slow motion disaster of climate change thatis concurrently in progress, which may not havecaught the attention of busy obstetricians andgynecologists, among others. TheIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC; www.ipcc.ch/) has published its latestreport on the current and projected impacts ofglobal warming and climate change, which TheLancet describes succinctly as ‘the greatestthreat to human health in the 21st Century’.

The perils of global warming andclimate changeI am one of 60 physicians and medical scientistswho have called for an urgent response toclimate change, with a signed letter appearing inThe Times (UK) on 29 March 2014. I would liketo quote a sobering extract: ‘As medicalprofessionals, we call for immediate preventativeaction through a drastic reduction of greenhousegas emissions and rapid transition to a zero-carbon world, at a pace far beyond that which isalready planned. This will require transformativeand radical change to energy policies, patterns ofconsumption, and transport systems, amongstother things. Such change may be considereddisruptive and difficult, but such actions arenecessary and can bring enormous benefits to

human health and wellbeing both in the shortterm and in the years and decades to come.

‘Never before have we known so much anddone so little. Failing to act decisively andquickly will inevitably cause great suffering andpotentially catastrophic consequences.’ (Thefull text and list of signatories can be read atwww.sduhealth.org.uk/news/265/ipcc-report--no-one-will-be-untouched-by-climate-change-).It is calculated that millions and millions wouldsuffer as a result of this catastrophe – mostlywomen and children. We need to urgegovernments, the private sector and colleaguesto become more reliant on alternative sources ofenergy. Even as individuals we can contribute by

The FIGO PPIUD project – L–R: Dr Ruwan Pathirana (Member – SLCOG); Dr UDP Ratnasiri (Chairman – Continuous Professional Development and Project Treasurer); Dr Gamini Perera(Treasurer – SLCOG); Prof Athula Kaluarachchi (Chairman – Education and Setting Standards); Dr Deepthi Perera (Director MCH – Family Health Bureau); Dr Kapila Gunawardena (PresidentSLCOG) – behind; Prof Malini (Workshop Facilitator) – front; Prof Revathy (Workshop Facilitator) – front; Prof Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran (Project Director); Dr Sardha Hemapriya (Chairman –Regional Activities and Developments) – behind; Laura Banks (Project Manager); Prof Hemantha Senanayake (Immediate Past President, Project National Coordinator); Dr Rohana Haththotuwa

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Women and children bear brunt of climate change –world must act now, says FIGO Presidentcontinued from page 1

In ternat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | May 20142

walking/cycling to work, using public transport,conserving energy at home and in the workplace,etc. I encourage FIGO Member Societies to takeaffirmative action on these issues, wherever andhowever they can. Small-scale actions canultimately yield long-term results if enough effortsare concentrated.

Healthcare for women – a matter ofhuman rights

http://www.glowm.com/Integrating_womens_rights

Hundreds of thousands of maternal deaths areavoidable – women die because maternal healthis not treated as a human rights issue. They aredenied emergency obstetric care; adequateantenatal care; abortions in the face of life-threatening conditions to the mother or thefoetus; routine and emergency contraception;and screening for cervical cancer (the death tollfrom this disease alone is likely to overtakematernal deaths due to childbirth in years tocome). I urge well-resourced countries to partnerless well-resourced countries and provide theknowledge, education and, where possible,equipment and medication required to bolstercapabilities.

Even in well-resourced countries the principle ofa human rights-based approach to healthcare isoften forgotten, especially when it involvesemergency situations and care of women andthe elderly. These issues should be examinedearly in medical schools through targeted trainingworkshops. Representative students andteachers should be trained to disseminate themessage to their colleagues. I urge those whowork in medical schools to consider using theprinciples and case examples given in the‘Women’s Rights, Health and Empowerment’section of ‘The Global Library of Women’sMedicine’ website (FIGO’s educational platform):www.glowm.com/Integrating_womens_rights.

New FIGO PPIUD project takesshape

The FIGO PPIUD project

One of the unmet needs of women’s health iscontraception, a key component of MillenniumDevelopment Goal 5.B: Achieve universal accessto reproductive health. FIGO is now running aproject, beginning in Sri Lanka, for‘Institutionalising Post-Partum IUD [IntrauterineDevice] Services and Increasing Access toInformation and Education on Contraception and

Safe Abortion Services’. This new project isspecifically designed to institutionalise thepractice of routinely offering all women theopportunity to have an IUD inserted immediatelyafter giving birth, within 10 minutes and up to 48hours of vaginal delivery or during caesareansection.

Pills, condoms, injectables and sterilisation areoften not suitable methods for women (or maynot be available due to funding or transportproblems), but the IUD is an excellent cost-effective and user-friendly alternative. We offersincere thanks to the Sri Lanka College ofObstetricians & Gynaecologists (SLCOG), alongwith Professor Hemantha Senanayake, ourNational Co-ordinator, and his team for theiruntiring efforts to make the project a success.We hope to expand to other countries whenfunding becomes available. A more detailedoverview of this project from Laura Banks,project manager, can be found on page 4.

FIGO featured at national andregional meetings

In January 2014, I wasdelighted to participatein the inauguration of‘Deshabandu’ (the thirdhighest national honourawarded in Sri Lanka,given for ‘meritoriousservice’) Dr KapilaGunawardena as

President of SLCOG in the presence of theMinister, Secretary and Director of HealthServices of the country. His inaugural speechoutlined SLCOG’s keen interest and master planto improve women’s health services. This wasfollowed over the next few days by visits tocounselling workshops on family planning fordoctors and midwives in Colombo, Kandy andGalle, with over 150 attending each meeting.

In February I attended the 57th All IndiaCongress of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (AICOG)in Patna, India. As always, it attracted thousandsof participants. The Federation of Obstetric andGynaelogical Societies of India (FOGSI) hasconsistently worked hard to improve women’shealth. FIGO thanks the outgoing President DrHema Divakar for exceptional service, andwishes the incoming President Dr Suchitra Panditthe very best in continuing FOGSI’s robust work.

Shortly after, I participated in the InternationalCongress of Perinatal Medicine, held in Limassol,Cyprus, on 15–16 February, organised by thePerinatal Society of Cyprus. It was chaired byProfessor Christina Karaoli, a neonatalpaediatrician of eminence. It was wonderful tosee the excellent rapport between thepaediatricians, obstetricians and the alliedspecialties. I was especially pleased to donate anumber of my books in obstetrics andgynecology to the medical library.

On 7 March, to mark International Women’s Day,the Royal College of Obstetricians andGynaecologists (RCOG) in London, the UK,organised a day of activities predominantlyfocused on issues related to the sexual andreproductive rights of women. The well attendedevent was a mix of professionals and the public,beginning with an excellent introduction fromPresident Mr David Richmond and followed by astimulating workshop by Professor Lesley Regan,Chair of FIGO’s Committee for Women’s Sexualand Reproductive Rights, based on the modulealready mentioned earlier on thewww.glowm.com website. Feedback wasexcellent. This event was later repeated inHyderabad, India, at the RCOG World Congress.

I am sincerely grateful to all who contributed tothe success of these important workshops, andhope that FIGO Member Societies will make useof the substantial materials available onwww.glowm.com to assist with running theirown national or regional workshops.

Diaries marked for October 2014and 2015From 30 October–2 November 2014, FIGO isholding a joint conference in collaboration withthe South Asian Federation of Obstetrics andGynaecology (SAFOG) and SLCOG. Severalimportant organisations are participatingincluding the Japanese, Malaysian andSingaporean societies; the UK’s RCOG;RANZCOG (Australia and New Zealand); theUnited Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); theWorld Health Organization (WHO); Family HealthInternational; and the Sidra Medical andResearch Center in Qatar. I am grateful toSAFOG President Dr Alokendu Chatterjee;SLCOG President Deshabandu Dr KapilaGunawardena; the local organising CommitteeChair Dr Rohana Haththouwa; and the ScientificCommittee Chair Professor Malik Goonewardeneand their teams for their untiring work inpreparing for this much anticipated event. Pleasejoin us in making this a successful meeting, bothscientifically and socially. Visit www.figo-safog2014colombo.org/index.php for full details.

As you know, FIGO’s triennial World Congress isto be held in Vancouver, Canada, from 4–9October 2015. All of our Congress Committeesare working closely to ensure that this majorevent is a tremendous success. More informationis available on page 7 – we particularly urge youto visit www.figo2015.org regularly to keep upto date as more information is released. I knowthat this Congress is much anticipated, and hopeto see as many of you as possible in attendance.

Retirement of FIGO’s AdministrativeDirectorMr Bryan Thomas, our Administrative Director,will step down to retire from his position in thesummer, after nearly 17 years of superb serviceto FIGO. We are pleased to have secured anexcellent successor, as Professor HamidRushwan will explain in his Overview. We aredelighted to read Bryan’s reminiscences on page6, and hope that his well-deserved retreat fromthe working world is restful, fruitful and exciting inequal measure! Thank you, Bryan, for guidingFIGO so expertly over so many years. You will begreatly missed.

My best wishes to you and your families for awonderful summer.

Professor Sir Sabaratnam ArulkumaranFIGO President

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

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L–R: Executive Dean Professor Charalambous, librarianCarrie Rodomar, Professor Arulkumaran (Cyprus)

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CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S OVERVIEW

In ternat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | May 2014 3

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.

President:Professor Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran (United Kingdom)

President-Elect:Professor Chittaranjan Narahari Purandare (India)

Past-President:Professor Gamal Serour (Egypt)

Vice President:Professor Ernesto Castelazo Morales (Mexico)

Honorary Secretary:Professor Gian Carlo Di Renzo (Italy)

Honorary Treasurer:Professor Wolfgang Holzgreve (Switzerland)

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

Administrative Director:Bryan Thomas

Readers are invited to refer items for consideration byemail to communications@figo.org no later thanFriday 20 June 2014 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 2014.

International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Dear ColleaguesWe are now firmly in the cut and thrust of 2014,and I am sure that you and your organisationsare as busy as ever! FIGO is certainly a hive ofactivity as the year continues apace.

My year began with attendance at the WorldHealth Organization’s (WHO) Executive Boardmeeting in Geneva, in January – an importantyearly event, it provided me with the opportunityto catch up with WHO colleagues, namely DrsMarleen Temmerman, Elizabeth Mason, CarolePresern and Jantine Jacobi (of UNAIDS) todiscuss numerous collaborative activities. Anadditional meeting with the President (JudithShamian) and Chief Executive Officer (DavidBenton) of the International Council of Nurses(ICN) bore fruit – FIGO has now signed an MOUwith the ICN, and it is hoped that it will develop acloser working relationship with this importantbody.

In February, I represented FIGO at the ‘BuildingAcademic Partnerships to train 1000+ OBGYNsin sub-Saharan Africa’ conference in Accra,Ghana. This special event brought together ob-gyns from academic institutions in sub-SaharanAfrica, along with professional supportorganisations, policy-makers and funders todiscuss ways to increase obstetric capacity insub-Saharan Africa. The meeting was a greatstep forward in promoting ob/gyn postgraduatetraining in Africa.

Khartoum welcomes AFOG GeneralAssemblyIn late February, I travelled to Khartoum to attendthe General Assembly of the African Federationof Obstetrics and Gynecology (AFOG), FIGO’smost recently recognised Regional Federation.This took place during the 26th Congress of theSudanese Obstetrical and GynaecologicalSociety. The meeting was attended byrepresentatives of 22 societies of AfricanObstetrics and Gynecology. Discussions to

promote AFOG after establishing the Secretariatin Khartoum were useful and Committees wereformed to follow up on selected activitiespertaining to the region. Plans for holding the firstAFOG meeting towards the end of 2014 werediscussed. There was general enthusiasm fromall those who participated to work togethertowards strengthening this important regionalforum.

Montreux hosts major WHO WorkingGroup meeting

In March, FIGO wasinvited by WHO totake part in a verysuccessful ExpertWorking Group torevise the MedicalEligibility Criteria forContraceptive Use(4th edition) andSelected PracticeRecommendationsfor ContraceptiveUse (2nd edition), inMontreux.

Mid-March took meto New York,having been invited

by Gynuity Health Projects (the supporters of ourmisoprostol initiative, through a grant from the Bill& Melinda Gates Foundation) to twocomplementary meetings that addressed thescience and strategies for effective managementof post-partum haemorrhage (PPH). FIGO’smisoprostol project, due to end later this year,has been instrumental in advocating for the useof misoprostol for PPH prevention and treatment,and disseminating related evidence-basedinformation to a global community of healthprofessionals and clinical policy-makers.Discussions with Gynuity senior management,President Beverly Winikoff and Director RashaDabash, focused on the progress of the FIGOmisoprostol initiative, and its future direction.

2018 Congress travelsIn late March, together with FIGO’s VicePresident and Meetings and Events Manager, Itravelled to Brazil, Peru and Colombia to revisitthe proposed sites for the 2018 Congress – Riode Janeiro, São Paulo, Lima and Bogota. Due tothe fast-moving pace of professional conferenceplanning, these trips are necessary to obtainfurther useful information well in advance offuture events. All countries provided us with anexcellent updated overview.

The 66th Annual Congress of the Japan Societyof Obstetrics and Gynecology took palace inmid-April, and I was delighted to represent FIGOalongside other FIGO colleagues at itsInternational workshop for Junior Fellows. Theseworkshops are a vitally important and preciousopportunity for young Fellows to progress in theirknowledge, and to gain confidence in theirspecialties. As always, we were the recipients ofsuperb hospitality.

FIGO and Wellbeing of Women joinforces to offer Academic FellowshipFurther to the recent signing of a Memorandumof Understanding, FIGO and Wellbeing of Womenare delighted to announce an AcademicFellowship available for international candidates.A grant of up to £20,000 is available to enable acandidate in the field of obstetrics andgynecology to link up with academic mentors inthe UK for a period of up to three years. Theapplicant will be based at an academic institutionin a low/middle resource country and will have inplace a funded research project which addressesa priority area for that country/region. The closingdate is 3pm on Friday 20 June 2014; full detailsand application forms are available from:www.wellbeingofwomen.org.uk/research/figo-academic-fellowship/?menu=0c.

Retirement of FIGO’s AdministrativeDirectorFinally, I am sure that FIGO colleagues will beextremely saddened to learn that Mr BryanThomas, FIGO’s Administrative Director of nearly17 years’ standing, is retiring in the summer of2014. Bryan has worked (with sterling supportfrom Senior Administrator and CommitteeManager Marie-Christine Szatybelko) at FIGOwith consummate professionalism in ademanding role, and is held in great esteem byall who know him. It has been no easy brief tooversee such a complex, ever expanding anddiverse organisation, but it is a role for which hehas been uniquely suited. I know that you will alljoin me in wishing him a wonderful, well-deservedretirement. He is a well-travelled man, due toFIGO’s international demands, but I know that heis keen to continue to explore the globe, albeit ina more relaxed fashion!

We are delighted to announce that our newAdministrative Director is Mr Sean O’Donnell.Sean has substantial senior management levelexperience in the charity, public and highereducation sectors including at, most recently,Royal Holloway College, the University ofLondon. He has also worked for Save theChildren and Action for Children. He hassignificant experience of charity governance,administration, membership organisations,managing professional relationships,implementation of policy and managementexperience across human resources and finance.We are delighted to welcome him, and feelconfident that he will bring a steadying hand tothe reins as FIGO moves through a time oftransition. You will meet Sean in the next issue.

I wish you a very productive summer as we continueto work towards achieving our important goals.

Best wishes

Professor Hamid RushwanFIGO Chief Executive

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Professor Rushwan with Dr Marleen Temmerman (Head of WHO’s Department ofReproductive Health andResearch) in Montreux

Outside the new AFOG Secretariat in Khartoum

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FIGO INITIATIVES …PPIUD AND MISOPROSTOL

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Sri Lanka reaps benefits of first trainingworkshops for FIGO PPIUD project

In ternat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | May 2014

The FIGO Project for ‘Institutionalising Post-Partum IUD Services and Increasing Access toInformation and Education on Contraceptionand Safe Abortion Services’ (budget US$1.7million, funded by an anonymous donor) hasbegun in earnest, launching first in Sri Lanka.

This new project is specifically designed toinstitutionalise the practice of routinely offering allwomen the opportunity to have an IUD insertedimmediately after giving birth, within 10 minutesand up to 48 hours of vaginal delivery or duringcaesarean section.

The IUD is already arecognised andpopular method ofcontraception. It hasthe lowest rates ofdiscontinuation, iscost-effective, doesnot rely on user

adherence for efficacy, and can be removedeasily any time after insertion, if desired, with afast return to fertility.

Laura Banks, Project Manager, explained:‘Despite achieving a high rate of institutionaldeliveries, the proportion of women leavingfacilities without receiving a contraceptivemethod of their choice remains high – in SriLanka it is around 97 per cent. Women are askedto come back to the facility six weeks afterdelivery to receive contraception, and it has beenfound that most women do not return to thefacility, resulting in unmet contraceptive needsand a high rate of unplanned pregnancies. Thepost-partum period presents an ideal opportunityfor women to exercise their contraceptive choicewithout requiring a return visit. The project seeksto utilise the opportunity presented by birth tomeet contraceptive needs and address this gapin the continuum of maternal healthcare.’

Laura continued: ‘In October 2013 a visit wasundertaken by FIGO to the Sri Lanka College ofObstetricians and Gynaecologists (SLCOG) inorder to introduce, discuss and conduct atraining of the key financial and projectmanagement requirements for implementing thePPIUD project in Sri Lanka. This was swiftlyfollowed by the official programme launch inNovember 2013 with the support of the Directorof the Ministry of Health and the Director of theFamily Health Bureau.’

FIGO restates positionon misoprostol for PPHIn March 2014, FIGO and the InternationalConfederation of Midwives (ICM) releaseda joint statement: ‘Misoprostol for thetreatment of post-partum haemorrhage(PPH) in low-resource settings’.

The statement, recently endorsed by theFIGO Officers, was developed in closecollaboration with ICM, Gynuity HealthProjects and FIGO’ s Committee for SafeMotherhood and Newborn Health.

It is part of FIGO’s ongoing collaboration withGynuity Health Projects, which seeks todisseminate the latest evidence on usingmisoprostol to prevent and treat post-partumhaemorrhage in settings where oxytocin isnot available or feasible. It restates theapproved FIGO Guidelines 2012 and calls formidwives and obstetricians to improveaccess to safe delivery services.

The statement is available on the FIGOwebsite (www.figo.org/news/joint_statements) in English, Arabic,French, Spanish and Portuguese.

FIGO has also been raising awareness of theuse of misoprostol for PPH through severalrecent high-profile panel sessions at theRCOG World Congress in India (March 2014)and the 13th NESOG national conference,Nepal (April 2014). A panel is also scheduledat the ICM’s Triennial Conference in Praguenext month.

Upeka de Silva, the FIGO Initiative’s projectmanager, said: ‘As new evidence on the useof misoprostol becomes available, FIGO willcontinue to disseminate the findings andsupport its Member Associations, as well asthe wider healthcare community, to adapttheir practices for the benefit of womengiving birth in low-resource settings.’

PPIUD Project implementation comprises four keyareas

Advocacy: Securing support from theMinistry of Health and key health officials forthe project and for inclusion of IUD into themenu of post-partum contraceptive methodsoffered.

Efforts to integrate PPIUD services into pre-and in-service training curricula.

Training: Insertion immediately post-partumrequires special training to ensure accurate

insertion technique, safe insertion and infection prevention. Mastertrainers from each facility will be trained and undertake theresponsibility to train those within their facility.

Training and capacity building of all health facility ante-natal anddelivery team personnel on counselling women about the overallbenefits of contraception, dispelling myths around IUDs, safeinsertion and infection prevention and post-insertion counselling and

care will also be undertaken, with particular focus on midwives, who play a crucial role in this area.

Research: A study to assess the rates of post-partum IUD continuation, expulsions and overallclient satisfaction will be completed, with regular follow up of clients for a period of two years afterdelivery.

Monitoring and evaluation: Detailed client and provider data will be collected and analysed witha view to improving quality of care and provider performance.

As an added valuable component to the project, it also aims to improve the quality, scope andreliability of information available to healthcare professionals worldwide on all aspects related tofamily planning and safe abortion care through The Global Library of Women’s Medicine(GLOWM) website, a global platform for knowledge transfer. A dedicated section on theGLOWM website on the topics of Family Planning and Prevention of Unsafe Abortion is nowavailable at www.glowm.com/FIGO_resources.

The first two trainings, facilitated by two PPIUDexperts from India, took place in November 2013and included: 32 ob/gyns who will becomeMaster Trainers responsible for training andsupporting relevant healthcare providers in theirfacilities, and 24 registrars and post-graduates.Participants attended from a total of 12 facilities,including six new facilities which have beenselected in addition to the initial six teachinghospitals in order to scale up the project.

Materials and modules for the ongoing training ofhealthcare providers and community midwiveshave been developed and translated in Tamil andSinhala. The first trainings for CommunityMidwives in counselling women on the benefitsof IUDs took place in January 2014 with thesupport of the Family Health Bureau, and a totalof 523 participants from the facilities in Galle,Kandy and Colombo. A second round of trainingtook place in March for additional midwives fromthe same centres, with attendees totalling 440.

Obtaining the correct medical instruments for theprovision of PPIUD services has been achallenge, in particular the curved Kelly’s forcepswhich allow for correct insertion technique andwhich are not used in Sri Lankan facilities andthus not in stock. Solutions have been sought byworking with FOGSI in India to immediatelyprocure a small order for initial implementation,and with the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka toovercome customs issues for a larger supply. Inthe longer term, and in order to achievesustainability of the programme, the Ministry hasagreed to take full responsibility for ensuringprovision of all medical equipment for the project,including Kelly’s forceps and IUDs.

As Sri Lanka gears up for the implementationphase, discussion is underway for thepossible expansion of the project to additionalcountries.All photographs on page 4 courtesy of SLCOG

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Since February 2013, free training in ‘Post-Partum Haemorrhage: Prevention and Treatment’ hasbeen developed by the Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Santa Cruz (Bolivia), and has

benefited nearly 900 health professionals, not onlyin the city, but also in surrounding rural areas.

The principal objective of the workshops is to trainthose professionals who attend women in labour,teaching them techniques that can save a mother’slife.

Dr Carlos Füchtner, Workshop Director – and theExecutive Board representative of FIGO’s BolivianMember Society – said: ‘The Society will certainlycontinue with this worthwhile project – we knowthat proper training of healthcare professionalsresults in fewer tragic deaths of mothers.’

He added: ‘PPH is a major cause of maternalmortality, yet is highly preventable through skilledcare. We hope that other national societies will be encouraged to start their own activities in this

important area of women’s health.’

5In ternat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | May 2014

FIGO NEWSRecord submissions in 2013for IJGOFIGO’s official publication, the InternationalJournal of Gynecology & Obstetrics (IJGO),received over 1,400 submissions in 2013 – arecord number for the Journal.

Editorial Board members attending the annualmeeting in London, held in February, also learntof increases in the number of IJGO articlesdownloaded from ScienceDirect (over 500,000 in2013); the number of IJGO articles cited by otherauthors (over 5,500 in 2010/11); and the numberand geographic distribution of its reviewers. TheJournal scored over 95 per cent for overallsatisfaction on Elsevier’s author feedback surveyand overall publication time had also beenreduced. Four Supplements were published in2013 and there has been an increase inproposals for future Supplements.

Clare Addington, IJGO Managing Editor, said:‘The Editorial Board, led by Editor Emeritus DrJack Sciarra, paid tribute to Dr Timothy Johnson,who is scheduled to step down as Editor inSeptember 2014. Dr Johnson became Editor in2006 and has presided over a fantastic period ofgrowth in both quantity and quality ofsubmissions. His dedication and vision have

ensured that the Journal has grown inprominence among women’s health journals, hasremained committed to one of its primaryobjectives of publishing articles from researchersworking in low- and middle-income countries,and has continued to act as a platform tohighlight FIGO’s priorities and projects.

‘Preparations are underway for publication of the2015 World Report on Women’s Health, whichwill be guest edited by FIGO’s President-Elect,Professor Chittaranjan Narahari Purandare, andpublished in time for the FIGO Congress inVancouver.

‘Following its success at recent Congresses,IJGO’s editors will once again host an authorWorkshop for prospective authors to learn howto maximise their chances of getting published inthe Journal. Staff from the Editorial Office will beavailable at a dedicated IJGO booth to meet andanswer questions from anyone interested insubmitting their work.’

Clare added: ‘On a final note, Mr Pete Chapman,IJGO's Deputy Managing Editor, left the Journalin April after five years at FIGO. He will be sorelymissed and we wish him well in his futureendeavours.’

New FIGO GDM Initiativekicks off in LondonFIGO is proud to unveil a new initiative thatseeks to produce, disseminate andimplement evidence-based standards ofcare protocols on caring for women withgestational diabetes. The financial supportsecured from Novo Nordisk enables FIGOto bring together independent experts ongestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) todevelop the tools needed by obstetriciansand gynecologists and other key healthcareprofessionals for providing comprehensivematernal healthcare services.

Professor Hamid Rushwan, FIGO ChiefExecutive, said: ‘There is now increasedunderstanding of the negative impact thatdiabetes has on people’s lives, life chancesand overall wellbeing, with strong evidence toindicate that over 76 million women withdiabetes or pre-diabetes [Impaired GlucoseTolerance – IGT] are of reproductive age andat risk of having their pregnanciescomplicated by hyperglycaemia.

‘It has been realised that a comprehensiveresource setting out evidence-basedguidance on screening, diagnosing andproviding care for women with GDM remainsunavailable to key healthcare professionals.As a response to this unmet need, FIGO isfully committed to promoting an integratedapproach to maternal and child healthservices in this area.’

An expert group representing FIGO regionswill develop the Guidelines, with theinvolvement of the FIGO Committee for SafeMotherhood and Newborn Health and theFIGO Working Group on Best Practice onMaternal-Foetal Medicine. This group is dueto meet in early May at FIGO HQ, and welook forward to reporting on plannedactivities in the next issue.

‘Saving Mothers’ Lives’: Bolivian society workshops highlight PPH

Best Practice on Maternal-Foetal Medicine Working Group meeting (London)

Editorial Board meeting, February 2014 (Dr TimothyJohnson front row centre)

New FIGO Working Groupsets its agenda for 2014– Best Practice on Maternal-FoetalMedicineThe first meeting of the newly establishedFIGO Working Group on ‘Best Practice onMaternal-Foetal Medicine’ (chaired by DrGian Carlo Di Renzo, Italy – centre in photo)was held in early 2014 in London.

In 2014, the ‘Best Practices’ Group will focuson folic acid supplementation, prediction andprevention of pre-term birth and non-invasiveprenatal diagnosis and testing.

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PEOPLE RETIREMENT OF FIGO ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR

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Q and A with Bryan Thomas, FIGOAdministrative DirectorMany of you will be aware that Mr BryanThomas, FIGO’s Administrative Director, isretiring in July 2014 after some 17 years withthe organisation. Bryan joined FIGO in 1997following a lengthy career in internationalbanking and a brief period during which hebecame involved in the television andentertainment industry.

Bryan, you have been at the helm ofFIGO for a long time… looking back,what attracted you about workingfor it?To be brutally honest, I needed a job! I had takenwhat was intended to be a sabbatical frombanking around 18 months earlier because I hadbecome involved with a group of British mediaentrepreneurs and, between us, we had come upwith an idea for a new television channel just atthe time when satellite TV in the UK wasexpanding and seeking new ventures. Sadly,after about a year of intense development, thefinanciers who had promised to back us pulledout at the very last minute and – honestly – mysavings had run out and I needed to pay the bills!I could not face going back into banking so Ibegan to look for something in the charitablesector. FIGO gave me an opportunity and I joinedassuming that – compared to the financialsector – it would be relatively stress-free. Littledid I know…!

How has the organisation changedsince your early days?It has changed beyond recognition. I joined asthe ‘junior’ and, at the time, there were only threepermanent staff and one part-time book-keeper.The staff then consisted of my predecessor,Chantal Pradier – who had been with FIGO forover 20 years – Rosa Tunberg, Franky Kossy andme. After a year or so, Chantal decided to leaveand, following a fairly intensive selection process,I was chosen to take her place and wasappointed as what was then ‘AdministrativeSecretary’ in May 1999. At the time, FIGO wasjust starting out on its first major ‘intervention’project - the FIGO Save The Mothers Initiative –which, somehow, we managed to handleadministratively without any additional staff orresources.

Perhaps the most significant change came in2004 when FIGO moved into its new permanenthome just south of the River Thames nearWaterloo Station in London. The FIGO Treasurerat the time – our current President, Professor SirSabaratnam Arulkumaran – and I knew that itmade economic sense to try and buy somethingthat would eventually become a permanent asset

for FIGO rather than continuing to rent space aswe had for many years. However, it was a majorchallenge to identify a space that FIGO could notonly afford to buy (with the help of a bank loan),but that would also allow all of its administrativeactivities to be brought together under one roof.(The Editorial Office for the International Journalof Gynecology & Obstetrics, for example, hadbeen based in Chicago and, when its then-Editor – former FIGO President Jack Sciarra –stepped down, the opportunity was taken tomove the operation to London.)

A further major step forward was taken inSeptember 2007 with the appointment ofProfessor Hamid Rushwan as Chief Executive. Ithad always been FIGO’s long-term plan toappoint a Chief Executive when it had sufficientresources to do so, and I had always beensupportive of the intention to appoint someonewho could act as an ambassador for FIGO andwho, crucially, had the technical and scientificexpertise that I lacked to allow the organisationto seek grants and other funding that wouldallow it to increase significantly the number ofinterventions that it undertook globally.

Many people think that FIGO is a ‘rich’organisation, but this is far from the truth. All ofthe funds generated from membership fees, theCongress, publications and so on are used tosupport its core running costs, and any surplus ispumped into the many projects and othercharitable activities that it undertakes, so havingHamid on board to try to improve theorganisation’s income streams has been hugelyimportant. Luckily, Hamid and I got on well fromthe start and the synergy between us has, Ihope, helped to mould the organisation into whatit has become today. The staff complement ofFIGO is now around 14 – almost five times whatit was when I started, but still very smallcompared to many comparable organisations –and the range of activities undertaken has alsoincreased massively.

L–R: Back row: Bryan Thomas, Franky Kossy; front row:Rosa Tunberg, Chantal Pradier, Marta Williams

Any special memories to take away? I have many memories – mostly (though not all)happy!

I joined FIGO on 1 September 1997. It is an easydate to remember because it was the day afterPrincess Diana died and the whole country wasin a state of shock and grief, so starting a newjob at that time was a very strange experience.

The triennial Congresses stand out. They aretimes of major stress but there are alwayssomehow lighter moments to punctuate themassive workload that such an event brings.

I remember, in particular, the time when a ratherlarge, colourful (now sadly deceased) candidatefor election as a FIGO Officer – who I will notname! – surprisingly did not attend the GeneralAssembly where the election was taking place. Itsubsequently emerged that he had managed toget stuck in a toilet cubicle that had to bedismantled to release him. Not only that, but heexclaimed when released from his temporaryprison that ‘this is always happening to me’!

There have been tricky times, too – like the timeat the General Assembly in Santiago, Chile, in2003 when the English-speaking technicalsupervisor failed to show up. I speak very littleSpanish, so I had to run the whole complexevent through a translator with a group of –thankfully very capable – Spanish-speakingtechnicians who spoke no English.

Many of these experiences have, of course, beenshared with FIGO’s Senior Administrator andCommittee Manager Marie-Christine Szatybelko.Over the past 14 years since she joined FIGO inApril 2000, Marie-Christine has been incrediblysupportive. I can honestly say that I could nothave done this job as effectively as I hope I havewithout her.

Bryan with Marie-Christine Szatybelko, in Santiago, Chile,following the 2003 World Congress

What will you miss about FIGO?Mainly the people. Even after all these years, I stillfind it hard to believe that FIGO manages toachieve quite as much as it does with so fewstaff and a heavy reliance on volunteer support.

The Officers and Executive Board of FIGOchange every three years but – even though thatmeans a steep learning curve for the new‘recruits’ – I can honestly say that I have neverbeen less than incredibly impressed by thededication and commitment shown by the vastmajority of the ever-changing group of volunteerdoctors who, for no financial gain, give up theirtime to support and direct the activities that FIGOundertakes.

Sadly, despite the enormous achievements thatFIGO has managed in recent years, there is stillso much to be done in the area of maternal andnewborn health. I know more about the femaleanatomy now than I ever imagined I would – oreven wanted to! – but it is an uphill struggle and Iwish my successor well in playing his part in that!

I won’t miss the stress – the thought that I neveragain have to take responsibility for theorganisation of a FIGO General Assembly is verycomforting!

How do you plan to spend your well-deserved retirement?Sleeping for at least a year! After that, I will beconcentrating on the things that – because of thedemands of this job – I have not been able to doas much of as I would have liked over the pastfew years. Many of my close friends are alreadyretired and I intend to see far more of them than Ihave been able to recently. I want to spend moretime travelling, without the knowledge that 18-hour working days await me when I get offthe plane. I have a deep passion for music andtheatre and I want to devote more time to that.And then there is that half-finished novel that hasbeen languishing in a drawer since 1997…!

We wish Bryan all the very best for hisretirement, and thank him for his immensecontribution to FIGO.

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7In ternat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | May 2014

FIGO EVENTS

Diary Dates22–24 May 2014First European Spontaneous Preterm Birth Congress(Svendborg, Denmark)www.espbc.eu/26–30 May 201415th World Congress for Cervical Pathologyand Colposcopy (IFCPC 2014) (London, United Kingdom)www.ifcpc2014.com/28–31 May 201413th Congress of the European Society ofContraception and Reproductive Health(Lisbon, Portugal)www.escrh.eu/events/esc-events/20144–7 June 2014XXIV European Congress on Perinatal Medicine(Florence, Italy)www.ecpm2014.org/

10–13 June 201470th Annual Clinical and Scientific Conference ofSOGC (Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada)www.sogc.org/events/annual-clinical-and-scientific-conference-acsc-2014/29 June–2 July 2014ESHRE 2014 (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology) (Munich, Germany)www.eshre.eu/annual_meeting/page.aspx/1122–26 July 2014AUGS/IUGA Joint Scientific Meeting (Washington DC, USA)www.iuga.org/general/custom.asp?page=2014meeting

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30 October–2 November 2014FIGO-SAFOG-SLCOG Conference(Colombo, Sri Lanka)www.figo-safog2014colombo.org/index.html

www.figo2015.org will soon carry moreinformation on the next FIGO World Congress,providing an essential ‘one-stop shop’ forprospective attendees.

Professor Hamid Rushwan, FIGO ChiefExecutive, said: ‘FIGO is looking forward withenormous anticipation to this Congress. Weknow that Vancouver will be a superb host to our

Vancouver images are kindly supplied by © TourismVancouver and © Vancouver Convention Centre

Countdown toVancouver 20152nd Announcement brochure:October 2014 (including Call for Abstracts,Provisional Programme, Registration andAccommodation details)

Registrations and AccommodationBookings Open: October 2014

Abstract Submissions Open: October 2014

Abstracts Due: 15 March 2015

Notification of Acceptance: 30 April 2015

Early Registration Deadline: 15 May 2015

Hotel Reservation Deadline: 31 August 2015

Congress: 4–9 October 2015

FIGO and FOGSI takethe stage at 57thAICOG

L–R: Dr Malhotra, Professor Sciarra and Professor DiRenzo (Patna)

FIGO and FOGSI joined forces at the 57th AllIndia Congress of Obstetrics andGynaecology, Patna, India, in February 2014,for a special panel session entitled: ‘FIGOGuidance for clinical practice’ (Chairpersons:Dr Suchitra Pandit, Dr CN Purandare and DrNozer Sheriar).

The topics presented were: Fetal Testing(Professor Gian Carlo Di Renzo – FIGOHonorary Secretary); Evaluation of ModernContraceptive Methods (Dr NarendraMalhotra – FOGSI representative to FIGO);and Abnormal Uterine Bleeding (ProfessorJohn J Sciarra – FIGO Past-President).

Sri Lanka welcomesFIGO-SAFOG-SLCOGjoint conference

A special jointconferenceorganised byFIGO and theSouth AsianFederation ofObstetrics andGynaecology(SAFOG), incollaborationwith the Sri

Lanka College of Obstetricians &Gynaecologists (SLCOG), will be held at theBandaranaike Memorial InternationalConference Hall, at Colombo, Sri Lanka,from 30 October to 2 November 2014.

Visit www.figo-safog2014colombo.org/index.html for full details.

global guests, and our Scientific Programme isshaping up to be both stimulating and enrichingto all levels of healthcare professionals.’

He added: ‘Detailed information about oursponsorship packages is available on thewebsite: we know that many global names willbe taking the opportunity to raise their profiles atthis major triennial Congress, the largest event inits sector.’

28–30 August 20149th Athens Congress on Women’s Health andDisease (Athens, Greece)www.womenshealth2014.com17–20 September 201413th European Congress of Paediatric andAdolescent Gynaecology (London, UK)Joint RCOG/BritSPAG/EURAPAG Meetingwww.rcog.org.uk/events/13th-european-congress-paediatric-and-adolescent-gynaecology18–21 September 20142014 International Conference on Stillbirth, SIDS and Baby Survival (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)www.stillbirthalliance.org/FIGO accepts no responsibility for the accuracyof the external event information. Inclusion ofany event does not necessarily mean that FIGOeither endorses or supports it (unless otherwisestated).

Vancouver 2015: moredetails coming soon atwww.figo2015.org

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