ICM and FIGO working together towards saving mothers and newborns: Kathy Herschderfer, ICM Secretary General, describes how midwives can get involved in national projects with medical colleagues.

• Auteur: Herschderfer, Kathy

In the global arena, ICM works very closely with FIGO (the International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians) in promoting 'Safe Motherhood and Healthy Newborns', and ICM is a member of the FIGO working group on Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health. FIGO has launched a very exciting project called 'Saving Mothers and Newborns', which was proposed by this committee.

The project supports national societies of obstetrician in the development and implementation of projects in safe motherhood and/or newborn health and stimulates national level partnership, notably with midwives associations.

This project offers the opportunity for midwifery, associations to join forces with societies of of obstetricians and gynecologists, in order to help reduce maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity, by addressing country-specific aspects of maternal and newborn care.

We encourage midwifery associations to consider taking part in these projects if they are approached by their colleagues in the Society of Obstetricians or to contact those Societies with ideas that may be appropriate for this project.

The following is a summary of the project proposal of which the full text can be accessed on both the ICM and FIGO websites: www.internationalmidwives.org and www.figo.org

Saving Mothers and Newborns: a FIGO project proposal

Background. This 5-year project constitutes a second generation of national level projects, building on the recent experiences of 'Save the Mothers' Fund project' where FIGO during 1998-2003 supported 5 national societies of obstetrics and gynaecology in low-income countries in their efforts to implement model projects making essential obstetric care accessible at district level. These projects were carried out as twinning projects with involvement of societies in high-income countries.

The current project takes a step further in engaging national societies in programmes to improve maternal and newborn health. Using a two-step application procedure, national societies of obstetrics and gynecology in low- and middle-income countries will be able to access support for project proposal development (step 1), and, for full proposals that are accepted by FIGO, for the realisation of these 3-5 year programmes (step 2). Mentoring, national level partnerships--notably with national midwifery associations--and twinning with more experienced obstetrics/gynaecology societies are key features.

Possible project activities, National societies...