In his presentation at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) 8th International Scientific Meeting in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, Dr Tony Falconer, RCOG Senior Vice President – International Office, will discuss global challenges in women’s health. His talk will outline problems such as maternal mortality, morbidity and cervical cancer, highlighting the urgent need for increased political commitment to improve women’s health care.
It is estimated that over 500,000 women die every year of pregnancy-related causes. The extremes of women’s health are exacerbated by poverty, poor infrastructure and conflict. The chances of dying due to pregnancy are very low in Western Europe, but very high in areas of Asia and Africa. In the UK, a woman’s chances of dying due to pregnancy are 1 in 8200 - in Niger they are 1 in 7.1
Damage and injury from childbirth is rife in disadvantaged states. Obstetric fistula is one of the most serious and debilitating long-term complications of childbirth. A result of obstructed labour, it is estimated that there are two million women worldwide suffering from the condition, most in developing countries. These women experience constant urinary leakage, and are often socially excluded from their communities and forced to live in isolation.
Women also lack access to wider health care services. The absence of cervical screening in most countries highlights the global difficulties in introducing proven public health strategies. The death rate from cervical cancer remains an underappreciated problem in many parts of the world.
While the resolution of these problems is complex, solutions and strategies exist. Dr Falconer will discuss the work of the RCOG International Office (RCOGIO).
A key causal factor in maternal deaths is the lack of skilled carers, who are needed to assess and treat life-threatening complications of pregnancy. The RCOG Life Saving Skills course provides training in essential obstetric care for midwives, clinical officers, medical assistants and doctors working in resource-poor settings. To date the RCOGIO has trained a total of 678 health workers in countries including Somaliland, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malawi, Malaysia and Kenya. The RCOGIO is currently leading a new initiative aimed at mid-level providers who do not hold a medical qualification. The project seeks to address the lack of emergency obstetric care by training non-clinicians to carry out assisted vaginal deliveries and caesarean sections.
The RCOGIO is also involved in multi-agency work to help women suffering from obstetric fistula. In partnership with FIGO and specialist fistula surgeons working in Africa, the RCOGIO has developed a course designed for use in fistula centres. By supplying learning material, the RCOGIO supports educational infrastructure to train doctors in fistula repair.
Finally, as a membership organisation for professionals at the front line of maternity care, the RCOGIO works to raise awareness about women’s health issues and to advocate for more action to prevent maternal death. In partnership with a global network, the RCOGIO calls for improved women’s health policy, services, resource allocation, and political will.
Dr Falconer said “Health issues such as maternal mortality remain inextricably linked to the status of women in society. We can train more doctors, but we also cannot ignore the role of factors such as women’s education and political empowerment in improving health outcomes.
“Women of the world deserve better healthcare resources than are currently available to them. The current situation – where a woman dies every minute in childbirth – is disgraceful. In any society, women’s and family healthcare should be the highest priority. Political commitment remains integral to saving women’s lives.”
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Notes
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 8th International Scientific Meeting is taking place in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, from Monday 7 to Wednesday 9 December 2009. The meeting is held in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Health Services Co. (SEHA) and sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. For more information about the meeting, please click here http://www.rcog09.com/.
The RCOG International Office (RCOGIO) works in partnership with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in knowledge transfer, education, capacity building, and advocacy to improve women’s health in the poorest corners of the world.
For further information, please contact Emilia Ordolis at the RCOG Press Office at +44 (0)20 7772 6357 or by email at eordolis@rcog.org.uk.
1 UNICEF, The State of the World’s Children 2009. Available online at: http://www.unicef.org/sowc09/index.php
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