Keeping FIGO high on the globalagenda – a busy end to 2017

In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | December 2017 1

International Federation ofGynecology and ObstetricsFFIIGGOOFIGOcommunications@figo.orgwww.figo.org December 2017

reinforced my belief that FIGO needs to connectmore extensively with them, to reassure themthat they are certainly part of the FIGO‘mainstream’, despite their smaller size.

The next stop was the United Nations’ GeneralAssembly, in New York, where Johan and Iattended many meetings, liaising with importantNGOs and donors working in the field. Twoparticularly special meetings attended were the‘She Decides’ initiative, and the ‘Global FinancialFacility’, on behalf of the Partnership forMaternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH).Our visit was extremely productive, giving FIGOhigh visibility at the international level.

I travelled next to Moscow to attend a RussianCongress, which attracted over 5,000 delegates.It was a superb event where I gave a plenaryaddress at the inauguration; the FIGO FertilityToolbox™ was also showcased(www.fertilitytool.com). I was privileged to begiven the status of Professor Emeritus of theNational Research Centre for Obstetrics,Gynaecology and Perinatology. I offer sincerethanks to the organisers for their recognition andgenerous hospitality.

In the UK, I attended the PRE-EMPT annual

Save the date: FIGO Regional Congress of Middle East and Africa (11–13 April 2018) | PPIUD strengthens project team | Joining hands with Childhood and Early Parenting Principles

(CEPPs) | Highlights of FLASOG Congress 2017 | Farewell to ‘MC’!INSIDE:

Dear ColleaguesI enter the last year of my Presidency with plentyof activity in the next six months planned,including the much anticipated FIGO RegionalCongress of Middle East and Africa in Dubai(11–13 April 2018). Please do visitwww.figodubai2018.com to access all thedetails.

I visited Azerbaijan and Georgia – two of oursmaller societies – in September. It was atremendous experience for me, with mutuallysatisfying, excellent interaction. The warmwelcome I received from both societies has continued on page 2

L–R: Johan Vos, FIGO Chief Executive; Franka Cadée, ICM President; Dr Sally Pairman, ICM Chief Executive; Professor C N Purandare, FIGO President (UN General Assembly, New York,September 2017)

Keeping FIGO high on the global agenda – a busy end to 2017continued from page 1

2

meeting (Pre-eclampsia and Eclampsia,Monitoring, Prevention & Treatment) in Londonfrom 3–5 October 2017; I was invited by thewomen’s branch of the British Association ofPhysicians of Indian Origin to give a talk onleadership in Bristol the next day.

In mid-October, I attended two congresses –DOHaD (International Society for DevelopmentalOrigins of Health and Disease) in Rotterdam, andthe 12th Congress of the European Society ofGynecology, in Barcelona. In particular, the workof FIGO’s Working Group on Adolescent, Pre-conception and Maternal Nutrition was wellappreciated at the DOHaD, which was attendedby over 1,000 delegates.

The following week, I attended a meeting inCairo – the ‘Merck Africa Luminary’, organised bythe Merck Foundation, which was attended bymany ministers and First Ladies of countries inthe region. This was an extremely fruitful meeting,where FIGO’s global role was highlighted.

After Cairo, I travelled to Taipei, Taiwan, to attendthe FIGO Urogynecology and Pelvic Floor

Committee meeting, followed by the excellentAPUGA (Asia-Pacific Urogynecology Association)conference.

November was also extremely busy with a visit toCairo to attend the 2nd Annual Conference of theEgyptian Society of Maternal and Fetal Medicine.I had a most welcome opportunity to meet upwith Professor Mahmoud F Fathalla, an illustriousPast President of FIGO.

It was a long journey from there to Cancun,Mexico, where I attended the FLASOG(Federación Latinoamericana de Sociedades deObstetricia y Ginecología) Congress; a FIGOOfficers’ Meeting was also held on-site. Duringthe Congress, the joint FIGO-FLASOG LatinAmerican Declaration on Hyperglycemia inPregnancy was signed, and I also gave a plenarylecture on the subject. Afterwards, I stopped inDubai for a government meeting regardingmatters relating to FIGO’s forthcoming DubaiCongress.

The Philippine Obstetrical & GynecologicalSociety held its Congress in Manila, on 17

November, which I attended as a plenaryspeaker.

On 25 November, Global Health Strategies held ameeting in New Delhi for a project on safeabortion in India, South Africa and Brazil – Irepresented FIGO in supporting the cause of safeabortion globally.

At the time of going to press, I am travelling toAbu Dhabi to attend the International DiabetesFederation Congress, where I will be signing ahistoric joint Declaration between FIGO and IDFon Hyperglycemia in Pregnancy.

Wishing you warm Season’s Greetings: a MerryChristmas and a Happy New Year!

Best wishes

Professor C N PurandareFIGO President2015–2018

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | December 2017

Azerbaijan

Parliament of Georgia

Cairo

At the United Nations’ General Assembly, New York

Russian Congress, Moscow

With Professor John Sciarra, FIGO Past President, Barcelona

With Professor Franco Borruto, an HonoraryMember of the Latvian Society, Barcelona APUGA meeting, Taiwan

PRE-EMPT meeting, London, UK

thank all our partner organisations, Committeeand Working Group members, MemberSocieties, Executive Board, volunteers, donors,sponsors and staff for their hard work anddedication over the past year.

From FIGO House, I wish you and your lovedones joyous Season’s Greetings and I lookforward to working with you all next year.

Best wishes

Johan VosFIGO Chief Executive

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S OVERVIEW

In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | December 2017 3

FIGO House, Waterloo Court, 10 Theed Street, London SE1 8ST, UKTel: +44 20 7928 1166Fax: +44 20 7928 7099Email: figo@figo.orgWeb: www.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:Johan Vos

Readers are invited to refer items for consideration byemail to communications@figo.org no later thanTuesday 27 February 2018 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 2017.

International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Dear Colleagues and FriendsAs the year draws to a close, there is reflectionon the year that has passed and then lookingover the horizon to what lies ahead.

Women’s and infants’ health and wellbeing is ahuge issue. Every day on my way to work, I thinkof the many women who are affected by abuse,inequality, rights issues, lack of services orsupport, and what FIGO can do to make adifference, particularly in the light of the ongoingSustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thesolutions are not always easy. The reality is thatwomen suffer the most in areas of conflict, unrestand poverty, and this is the reason why FIGOoffers many key programmes in these countries.For example, our Fistula programme in low-resource countries in Africa and Asia hashelped over 5,000 women have life-changingsurgery, restoring their dignity and reintegrationinto family life. And our FIGO Post-Partum IUDproject in six countries has provided 34,885women with a contraception option that mightnot otherwise be available.

Also, in high-income countries, there will beissues that impinge on women’s health andwellbeing. In Ireland and Chile, for example, theabortion law is very restricted and therefore limitswomen’s choice over their sexual andreproductive lives. FIGO, through its past andpresent leaders, is proud to have been involvedin discussing these issues in-country, and hasseen Chile liberalise its abortion law and Irelandcall for a referendum on abortion.

Every country has a choice in how it allocates itslimited resources in health and in women’s healthin particular. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) isa key World Health Organization (WHO) objectivefor all countries. Lobbying and advocating in-country is very important to help change policyoutcomes, and FIGO is very committed tooffering more support in 2018 to help support

A new vision and momentum for 2018…

Member Societies to become strongeradvocates.

FIGO is also richly served by many experts whodedicate their time and efforts on our variousCommittees and Working Groups covering ourspecialities. The Safe Motherhood and NewbornHealth Committee (SMNH), for example, hasbeen very proactive, with leading statements onimportant topics such as reversing theCaesarean Section Epidemic. The CancerStaging app from the Gynecologic OncologyCommittee is used around the world. Producingleading and authoritative statements on allaspects of obstetrics and gynecology reinforcesFIGO’s leadership within our professional field. In2018, FIGO will offer more support and improvedguidelines to Committees and Working Groups toensure our global leadership position isstrengthened.

FIGO will strengthen its leadership as the globalvoice for women’s health. As a global body, weare in official relations with WHO, and haveconsultative status with the United Nations. Thisspecial relationship provides us with enhancedopportunities to have input into global policy.FIGO will be investing in strengthening itscommunication and advocacy functions in 2018in order to be more outspoken, visible andengaged. Our new branding will slowly be rolledout during 2018 to symbolise our new direction.

Many of the new changes and initiatives willbecome more visible during 2018, particularlyduring the FIGO World Congress in Rio (14–19 October 2018; www.figo2018.org) and the FIGO Regional Congress of Middle East & Africa in Dubai (11–13 April 2018;www.figodubai2018.com). You are all warmlyinvited to join and participate in our Congresses,as they bring you exceptional scientific and socialprogrammes.

As 2017 draws to a close, the FIGO President,Officers and I want to take this opportunity to

The Chief Executive with FIGO Officers in Cancun, Mexico (FLASOG Congress, November 2017) FIGO Regional Congressof Middle East &Africa! – April 2018The FIGO Regional Congress of Middle East& Africa will take place from 11–13 April2018 in Dubai. Stay tuned for regularupdated information onwww.figodubai2018.com.

FIGO welcomes new ConferenceManagerFIGO extends a warm welcome to Saskia Dean, who has joined us as ournew Conference Manager. She has seven years’ experience workinginternationally within conferencing, events management and professionalconference organisers. She joins us from Alzheimer’s DiseaseInternational, and, prior to this, worked at the National Joint Registry andthe Ten Foundation. She is a graduate of Queen’s College, OxfordUniversity.

Don Hinrichsen – newPartnerships Manager

Don recently joinedFIGO in the new roleof PartnershipsManager.

He has over 25 years’experience designingprogrammes andraising funds forUNFPA, UNDP, NGOsand others working in

the broad field of sexual and reproductivehealth, covering areas such as familyplanning and women’s rights; environmentaland resource issues; the SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs); and mediatraining in conflict zones.

Don has worked within businessdevelopment at the Malaria Consortium,Global Water Partnership, the Institute forWar and Peace Reporting and, prior to this,as a Senior Program Specialist at UNFPAand as Senior Consultant within various UNspecialised agencies (mainly UNDP, WHO,UNESCO and UNEP).

He is also the published author of six booksand five major population reports (egObstetric Fistula – Ending the Silence, Easingthe Suffering/Johns Hopkins University), andformer Editor-in-Chief of both Ambio, thejournal of the human environment publishedby the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences,and the World Resources Report, publishedby the World Resources Institute incollaboration with the World Bank, UNDPand UNEP.

4 In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | December 2017

FIGO Corporate Affairs Directorretires after 17 years!

Marie-Christine Szatybelko, FIGO’s Corporate Affairs Director,retires at Christmas after 17 years’ dedicated service.

Marie-Christine, or ‘MC’ as she is affectionately known, has beenat the helm of FIGO’s administrative and governance affairs fornearly two decades, and is truly a fount of knowledge on allthings FIGO.

Johan Vos said: ‘Marie-Christine has helped take theorganisation through many changes over the years. Herretirement is well deserved, and I am sure she has exciting plansfor the future. We thank her for her immense contribution.’

Marie-Christine said: ‘FIGO has seen many changes during thetime that I have been with the organisation which have placed itfirmly on the international stage as a global leader in women’shealth. It has been a real pleasure for me to work with the FIGOleadership, Committees, Working Groups, Member Societies andmy colleagues. While I am greatly looking forward to the nextstage in my life, it is with mixed feelings that I shall say goodbyeto you all, but perhaps our paths may yet cross again at somepoint in the future!’

FIGO bidsfarewell toEvents andMeetingsManager

FIGO recentlysaid goodbyeto MartaCollins, FIGOEvents andMeetingsManager, whostepped downfrom her role.

Martasuccessfullymanaged

FIGO World Congresses in South Africa (2009),Rome (2012) and Vancouver (2015), as well asseveral Regional Congresses and other assortedevents over the years.

Johan Vos said: ‘Marta has been a most valued,integral part of the FIGO framework for over adecade – she is well known and respected notonly by the FIGO leadership and staff, but also bycountless FIGO stakeholders. We wish her all thevery best for the future.’

Marta said: ‘I would like to thank the FIGOleadership, past and present; Congresscommittees, speakers, delegates, exhibitors,PCOs; and – last but not least – my colleagues,for their support over the last 10 years. Hopefullyour paths will cross again in the future. It hasbeen a pleasure to work with, and for, you!’

FIGO PEOPLE

FIGO strengthens PPIUD team!FIGO welcomes four new faces to its PPIUD project team! We wish them well in their newchallenges.

Kate Howard (Project Co-ordinator)Kate has most recently been working within grants and partnerships’coordination at Comic Relief. She has over eight years’ experience insexual health, project management and international work including withIPPF, Brook and an MSc in Global Health from University College London.Prior to this, she graduated from Edinburgh University where she gainedan MA (Hons) in Social Anthropology and Spanish. She also hasfieldwork/outreach experience gained working and volunteering inColumbia and Ecuador.

Emily-Anne Tunnacliffe (Project Co-ordinator)Emily has worked within grant and project management for over fiveyears in a variety of Programme Management/Officer roles at Chance forChildhood, One to One Children’s Fund and Street Child. Her work todate has focused on improving access to, and quality of, health servicesto children and adolescents across various settings. She has a Master’s in‘Middle East in Global Politics’, and, prior to this, graduated from RoyalHolloway, London University, where she attained a BA (Hons) in Politicsand International Relations.

Eliza Bell (Project Assistant)Eliza has previously worked within office support and data collection atthe RCOG with respect to its Excellence in Obstetrics Project in Uganda.Additionally, she has worked as a French language consultant at theInternational Centre for Security Analysis in London, and in a voluntarycapacity for Age UK Oxfordshire; International Bridges to Justice; and theGatehouse, Oxford (a shelter for homeless and poorly housed people).She is a graduate of King’s College, London University, where sheattained a BA (Hons) in European Studies, French Pathway.

Ibrat Djabbarov (Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist)Ibrat has extensive experience in global healthcare delivery; for the pastseven years he has worked at Save the Children, Merlin and World Vision.He brings a specific expertise on quality improvement and monitoring andevaluation to the PPIUD project.

He is a medical doctor, has studied at Oxford University (where heattained a Master of Science in Global Health), and is also a Fellow of theRSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures andCommerce).

5

2017 has been a whirlwind for the FIGO Post-Partum IUD Initiative. With the approval of theNo Cost Extension, four new members joinedthe HQ team.

New Project Coordinators Emily Tunnacliffe andKate Howard joined in the midst of the reportingperiod, diving right in at the deep end. IbratDjabbarov has joined Maya Sethi to form theMonitoring, Evaluation and Learning team andtogether they have been working hard to developa strategy that can best make use of the data sofar collected in order to inform future progress.Deputy Director Anita Makins has worked with the new Project Assistant Eliza Bell to finalise a

collection of resources entitled FIGO MinimumStandards for Training on Counselling andInsertion of PPIUD. We also saw the departure ofProject Manager Laura Banks, who will be greatlymissed by all.

The six project countries also continue to worktirelessly and facilitate several visits from FIGOHQ. Kenya has been dealing with ongoingstrikes, which have now ended, and workingagainst the odds to make real progress with theinvolvement of Community Health Volunteers inthe project; Tanzania has been successfully

expanding into satellite clinics; Nepal hasdeveloped an innovative on-the-job trainingpackage; and Bangladesh is busy planningOGSB’s Annual General Meeting, which Anita willattend; Sri Lanka held their Golden Jubilee earlierin the year, which Professor SabaratnamArulkumaran attended, and 2017 saw PPIUDaccepted into the National Programme ofcontraception; India continues to see the highestrates of counselling and insertion in the initiativewith Kalyani rates soaring predominantly due totask-shifting to nurses.

We were all, however, deeply saddened by therecent loss of Dr C V Hegde, Chief Coordinatorat Nair Hospital in Mumbai, who worked tirelesslyfor the initiative. FIGO offers sincere condolencesto his family and friends at this very difficult time.

PPIUD also continues to work closely with theContraception Working Group and hascoordinated the successful implementation ofMedical Eligibility Criteria workshops in numerouscountries in partnership with the World HealthOrganization. A new round of workshops in theEastern Mediterranean region is now underway.Report courtesy of Eliza Bell, FIGO Project Assistant

PPIUD team recaps on a whirlwind year!FIGO NEWS

FIGO and FLASOG join forces in Cancun!From 5–9 November 2017, FIGO’s Latin American Regional Affiliate –Federacion Latinoamericana de Sociedades de Obstetricia yGinecologia (FLASOG) – held its Congress in Cancun, Mexico.Attended by around 4,000 people, it provided a useful opportunity forFIGO to undertake various activities and meetings, as well aspromoting FIGO’s work through a busy exhibition booth and sessionsin the programme.

Post-partumhaemorrhage (PPH) asa leading cause ofmaternal mortalityremains a globalpriority. FIGO andGynuity HealthProjects’ joint panelsession on 7November enableddiscussion on newperspectives on PPHand its management.

Participants were treated to four presentations from an expertinternational panel. One of the speakers presented the latest evidenceon routes of administration of oxytocin for PPH management, whileanother presentation covered the WHO’s new recommendations ontranexamic acid for PPH treatment. Meanwhile, at the FIGO booth, wewere able to disseminate FIGO’s very popular misoprostol onlyrecommended dosage charts.

The FIGOHyperglycemia inPregnancy (HIP)Working Groupcontinued its globaladvocacy efforts bysigning the LatinAmerican HIPDeclaration with theFLASOG President andrepresentatives from allLatin AmericanMember Societies’

senior management. Linked to this, the NCD Committee hosted ascientific session in the programme which outlined the issues in LatinAmerica and some practical examples of efforts in Chile and Ecuador toaddress them.

Finally, the FIGO Violence against Women Working Group met todiscuss its plans for 2018, which include a campaign on the issue totake place at the FIGO Congress – watch this space and we lookforward to your participation in October!Report courtesy of Samia Khatun, FIGO Project Manager, and Matthew Pretty,FIGO Project Coordinator

Laura and Kate (third and fourth in row)

Emily, Laura and Tinu (FIGO finance department) with theNepal team (fourth, fifth and sixth in row)

Beating fistula! –FIGO convenes topsurgeons in AddisAbabaWith the Fistula Training Initiative’sincreasing need for coaching visitsby expert fistula surgeons for existingFellows, the FIGO Team decided tohold a vital training-of-trainers coursefor new, as well as existing, FIGOaccredited trainers in the AddisAbaba Fistula Hospital (HamlinFistula Ethiopia/HFE) in September2017.

The meeting was opened by HFE’sCEO, Dr Yacob Tesfaye; MCHCoordinator/Ethiopian Ministry of Health, Mr Sintayehu Abebe; andFIGO's Chief Executive, Johan Vos. Chaired by Professor Ajay Rane, Dr Andrew Browning, Dr Fekade Ayenachew and Senior ProjectManager Gillian Slinger, the participants were given a thorough inductionin the training initiative’s progress, challenges and their responsibilitiesas future FIGO Trainers.

Medical Aid International’s ManagingDirector, and supplier of FIGO's newinstrument sets, Mr Tim Beacon,was also present in the meeting and,with the participating 20 expertfistula surgeons, discussed the newfistula instrument sets andequipment, as well as the need tosupply surgical head-torches toFellows in the future.

All in all, it was an extremely fruitful meeting. All objectives were met andseven well-established fistula surgeons received FIGO accreditation andwill start to provide Fellow coaching visits in 2018.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to HFE and the team atthe Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital for their generous support andhospitality, without which these unforgettable few days would not havebeen possible!

The training-of-trainers course was followed by a very productivemeeting of the FIGO Expert AdvisoryGroup (EAG) of the TrainingProgramme, who, after helping steerthe first meeting, were able to meetface to face with the Project Team todiscuss Fellow progress and keytraining issues of the Initiative.Report courtesy of Lilli Trautvetter, FIGO Project Co-ordinator

Abi Cantor, former IJGO Managing Editor, at the FIGObooth

Inter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | December 2017

6 In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | December 2017

NEW COLLABORATIONSFIGO has recently signed new Memorandums of Understanding withChildhood and Early Parenting Principles (CEPPs) and the Chilean Ministryof Health

Childhood and Early Parenting Principles (CEPPs)The CEPPs’ Global Initiative was formed in2016 by a group of organisations working in thefield of Maternal and Perinatal Health and EarlyChildhood Care and Development.

Valerie Unite

The CEPPs’ ‘Mother and Child Manifesto’proposes seven principles, providing a policyframework for a unified multi-sector and multi-stakeholder partnership between government,private sector and civil society organisations atcity, regional and national levels.

We believe this Initiative has the transformativepotential to break inter-generational cycles ofadversity and disadvantage in the world, therebyhelping to accelerate the implementation of theUN 2030 Agenda (in particular, SustainableDevelopment Goals 3-5 which address health,education and the condition of women and girls).

The time of preconception and pregnancy is a

critical window for early intervention, and we areconvinced that delivering multi-sectorinterventions, with health as a starting point forreaching the youngest children, is one of the bestinvestments a nation can make for its future.

Valerie Unite is a founding member and theExecutive Director of Childhood and EarlyParenting Principles (CEPPs), and she has beeninvolved in these areas for over ten years – inFrance, the UK, and internationally. Sherepresents CEPPs in forums such as PMNCH(the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & ChildHealth, a WHO and UNICEF Initiative), ECDAN(the Early Childhood Development ActionNetwork) and GAMMH (the Global Alliance forMaternal Mental Health). She is an advocate forgreater focus and investment in early childhoodand its transformative effect on society.

Valerie regularly presents at UN sessions in NewYork and Geneva and participates on expertpanels at international conferences on thesubjects of maternal health, early childhood careand peace-building. She has university degreesin psychology and business administration, and aprivate practice in counselling.

Her passion is exploring new models andperspectives relevant to the times we live in.Among these is the transformative effect ofnurturing care during pregnancy and the earlyyears to bring about healthier, fairer and morepeaceful societies.Information and photo courtesy of Valerie Unite,founding member and CEPPs’ Executive Director –www.cepprinciples.org; @CEPPrinciples.

Further steps towards human rights! A blueprint for the future…– A Committee update from Professor Chiara Benedetto, Chair of the FIGO Committee for Women’s Health andHuman Rights (WHHR)

‘OurCommunicationCampaign –a way to share’We plan to continueour commitment toshare importantinformation onwomen’s health andeducate the population

at large to actively participate in their own‘care’ – this will be done through campaignsvia Facebook, Instagram, viral video, bannersand user-friendly informative material.

We intend to create a universal formatadaptable to various contexts, to allow FIGOMember Societies to manage their owncommunication campaigns tailored to localneeds.

‘Down the path of respect forhuman rights’Advocacy plays an important role in our plan.We aim to develop a strategy to target policy-makers and regulators in order to further therecognition, promotion and protection of girls’and women’s human rights, both globally andat a country level. A handbook entitled‘Women’s Health and Human Rights –

mapping possible contributions to the UnitedNations’ selected bodies for more conductivelegislation, regulations and policies at countrylevels’ is being prepared.

Another important step is education. Our actionpoints include the set-up of checklists forprofessionals to raise awareness on providinghuman rights-based healthcare assistance. Inaddition, we will also include the creation ofposters to be placed in public spaces, so as toeducate the general population on how toparticipate in their own healthcare.

Our Workshops, aimed at stimulatingprofessionals towards a thinking approach wherewomen’s health and human rights are whollyintegrated, have been scheduled in variouslocations (eg Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France,Lebanon, Kenya, the Republic of Singapore,South Africa, Sri Lanka, Texas, the United ArabEmirates and Zimbabwe).

‘Focus on migrants, refugees anddisplaced persons: a globalemergency’Focus groups with migrants will continue to beorganised to better understand their needs andto obtain opinions on the healthcare they requireand have received. Informative material and auniversal format of educational meetings will beprepared on the basis of their feedback.

This strategy will be aimed at improving their‘know-how’ on anatomy and physiology of thereproductive system; contraception;preconception counselling; prevention of STIsand cancer; healthy life-styles; and access tohealthcare. Male involvement in these meetingswill also be encouraged!

Participants in a Migrant Focus Group, organised by theCommittee

The Committee in Turin, Italy, together withrepresentatives of local and national institutions involvedin health and social activities

FIGO and ChileanMinistry of Health:working together foroptimum nutrition!Matthew Pretty, FIGO Project Coordinator,said: ‘FIGO is delighted to sign aMemorandum of Understanding with theChilean Ministry of Health (MINSAL) toaffirm its commitment to working towardsthe recommendations in FIGO’sAdolescent, Preconception and MaternalNutrition (APMN) supplement. Visithttp://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/issue/10.1002/ijgo.2015.131.issue-S4/to access the supplement.

‘We would like to thank the FIGO NutritionRegional Ambassador, Francisco Mardones,for continuing to push the APMN agenda inChile and facilitating this agreement.

‘We look forward to working together toachieve optimum nutrition for women inChile!’

Chilean colleagues with the signed MOU

Dr Chiara Benedetto

7In ter nat iona l Federat ion of Gynecology and Obstet r ics | December 2017

Visit www.figo2018.org!The Congress website – www.figo2018.org – is fully up and running, with new information beingadded regularly.

Save the dates!: 14–19 October 2018.

Diary Dates61st All India Congress of Obstetrics andGynecology 2018 (AICOG 2018)17–21 January 2018, Bhubaneswar, Indiawww.aicog2018.org

2018 Progress and Controversies inGynecologic Oncology Conference19–20 January 2018, Barcelona, Spainwww.primeoncology.org/live-education/solid-tumor/gyn-conference-2018

Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine AnnualMeeting29 January–3 February 2018, Dallas, Texas, USAwww.smfm.org/smfm18

5th International Meeting on CardiacProblems in Pregnancy 2018 (CPP 2018)22–25 February 2018, Bologna, Italywww.2018.cppcongress.com

South African Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ 38th Congress 2018(SASOG 2018)4–7 March 2018, Durban, South Africawww.sasog2018.co.za

18th World Congress, International Society ofGynecological Endocrinology7–10 March 2018, Florence, Italywww.isge2018.isgesociety.com

European Congress of the European Boardand College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology8–10 March 2018, Paris, Francewww.ebcog2018.org

The 2nd Asia Pacific Symposium on Diabetes,Hypertension, Metabolic Syndrome andPregnancy – DIPAP Greater China16–18 March 2018, Shanghai, Chinawww.comtecmed.com/dipap/2018

RCOG World Congress21–24 March 2018, Singaporewww.rcog2018.com

2nd Congress of South Asia Initiative forDiabetes In Pregnancy (SAIDIP)25–27 May 2018, Bengaluru, Indiawww.saidip2018.com

FIGO Regional Congress of Middle East & Africa11–13 April 2018, Dubai, UAEwww.figodubai2018.com

FIGO 2018 World Congress14–19 October 2018, Rio de Janeiro, Brazilwww.figo2018.org

New author resources page from IJGO!The official journal of FIGO, the International Journal ofGynecology and Obstetrics (IJGO), is delighted toannounce the launch of the first content from its newauthor resources page, and to highlight the recent additionof new reviewer resources to the journal’s website. IJGOhopes that the resources will provide useful information forreviewers and authors of all experience levels.

Ensuring that the design of a study is clearly described isvital in accurately conveying research findings and the newIJGO study design infographic provides authors with a clearvisual aid to correctly identify the design employed in theirwork. In addition to describing their research, theinfographic can be used to help researchers identify if aplanned study will require registration as a clinical trial in apublic registry prior to enrolling study participants, anessential step for all prospective clinical trials.

Peer review is a crucial process for assessing the scientific value of research findings and IJGO ishugely appreciative of the time and effort contributed by its expert reviewers. To help support ourreviewers, IJGO has prepared its own succinct guide to the peer review process. This includes abrief summary of the most useful information to include in a review; examples of how to formatcomments and of review comments that are helpful for the Editor; a brief guide to areas for closeexamination in article abstracts; and links to further useful peer review resources.

IJGO is very grateful for the contributions of reviewers and seeks to recognise this throughproviding the journal’s reviewers with free access to all IJGO content on Wiley Online Library for 30days, a 30 per cent discount on Wiley books, and recognition for review contributions on Publons.

IJGO’s author infographic (http://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1002(issn)1879-3479/ijgo-infographics.html) and reviewer resources(http://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1879-3479/about/reviewer-resources.html) are available through the journal’s website.Courtesy of Sean Fitzpatrick, IJGO Manuscript Editor

Visit FIGO 2018on Facebook!The dedicated Congress Facebook page is at:www.facebook.com/figocongress.

Stop by and ‘like’ the page!

EVENTS AND RESOURCES

LAST CALL!:FIGO/Chien-Tien HsuFellowship onGynecologic OncologyThe Chien-Tien Hsu Research Foundationand FIGO have established a Fellowshipon Gynecologic Oncology to enableyoung obstetricians and gynecologists –who are beginning a career ingynecologic oncology – to attend theFIGO World Congress of Gynecology andObstetrics, and to visit a gynecologiconcology centre in Brazil where theCongress will be held from 14–19 October2018.

Further details of the Fellowship and anapplication form can be obtained from theFIGO website at: www.figo.org/news/figochien-tien-hsu-fellowship-gynecologic-oncology-0015683Please note that the deadline for submissionof applications is 31 December 2017 afterwhich applications cannot be considered.

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