8th Congress of the South Asia Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (SAFOG)

Gynuity Health Projects participated in a panel on misoprostol for postpartum hemorrhage sponsored by FIGO at the South Asia federation of obstetrics and gynecology (SAFOG) congress held in Colombo, Sri Lanka April 22-24. Dr. Nadeem F. Zuberi, Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, presented the results from a recent trial conducted in Chitral, Pakistan that evaluated the effectiveness and safety of providing misoprostol to prevent PPH by trained TBAs at home-births. Dr. M.B. Bellad from the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Belgaum, spoke on misoprostol for prevention of PPH. Ms. Dina Abbas, Gynuity Health Projects, presented findings from two large-scale RCTs that compared misoprostol as a first-line treatment to IV oxytocin for controlling PPH. Dr. Shafiq Mirzazada, Aga Khan Health Services in Kabul, Afghanistan, discussed the evidence for treatment and service delivery implications. He also presented on ongoing research to assess the program and clinical effectiveness of misoprostol for treatment at the community level. The panel was moderated by Dr. Shereen Bhutta, Professor and Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center Karachi and a member of FIGO’s Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health Committee.

This panel is one of a series of sessions organized by FIGO at regional and international meetings as part of a joint initiative with Gynuity to increase access to information among obstetricians and gynecologists. A detailed description of this and other sessions organized by FIGO as well as information on FIGO’s misoprostol for PPH initiative can be found at FIGO’s website.