International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

FIGO LOGIC (Leadership in Obstetrics and Gynaecology for Impact & Change) Initiative in Maternal and Newborn Health

Project Name: Improving maternal and newborn health in low-resource countries through strengthening the role of obstetric and gynecological national associations.

Funder: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Date grant awarded: November 2008 - Project end date: October 2013.

Grant amount: $10,498,028.

Project Goal  To improve policy and practice by strengthening FIGO member associations and using their position and knowledge to facilitate and contribute to these improvements, leading to better maternal and new born health for under-served populations in low- and middle-resource countries.

Project Objectives

Objective One: Evidence-informed policy strategy and action plans on maternal and newborn health influenced and supported through member associations advocating to raise and maintain awareness of, and investment in, maternal and newborn health, and engaging in dialogue with health sector stakeholders.

Objective Two: Progress is made in delivering evidence informed policy, strategic objectives and operational/annual plans with the member associations’ active role in implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Objective Three: National and sub-national member association organisations strengthened to enable effective participation in national and sub-national strategic and operational fora related to maternal and newborn health. 

Objective Four: FIGO’s facilitative role with member associations strengthened.

Objective Five: Dissemination Phase

Participating Member Associations (MAs)

Burkina Faso (SOGOB); Cameroon (SOGOC); Ethiopia (ESOG); India (FOGSI) ; Mozambique (AMOG); Nepal (NESOG); Nigeria (SOGON) and Uganda (AOGU).   

FIGO LOGIC Team

Professor David J Taylor MD FRCOG  - Project Director

David TaylorProfessor David John Taylor is Director of the FIGO LOGIC project. After completing his clinical and academic training at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, he became Reader at the University of Dundee and Honorary Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.

He was Professor and Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Leicester and Honorary Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, University Hospitals of Leicester. During his appointment at Leicester, he held senior management positions, including Clinical Director of Obstetrics, Gynecology, Neonatology, and Sexual Health and Genetics services, Vice-Dean of the Leicester Medical School and Non-Executive Directorships of the Leicestershire, and the Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Health Authorities.

He has chaired and been a member of RCOG committees and has taught and examined in Africa, Asia, Europe, North and Central America. In addition to his academic contributions, which include the development of the OSCE and the MRC Oracle Trials, he has extensive experience in clinical service innovation, re-engineering and design. 

Dr Bart Vander Plaetse -Healthcare Management Specialist

BartBart has more than 15 years of working experience in NGO, bilateral and multilateral context in African countries. Before moving to Lesotho as CEO for ALAFA in early 2008, he headed the institutional development department in the Niger Ministry of Health, on behalf of the Belgian Technical Corporation. Earlier on, he was Program director for large bilateral cooperation programs in Nigeria (UK’s DFID) and Malawi (The Netherlands).

He has focused on Public Private Partnerships in different settings such as Primary Health Care in Mali, Emergency Obstetric Care in Malawi, Enabling Policy Environment in Nigeria, and most eminent in his previous  role in Lesotho. His other specialties (besides PPP and managing large programmes in challenging contexts) include Health Systems strengthening, Public Sector Reform, Donor coordination, Partnership Working and Management strengthening.

He is a Doctor of Medicine, specialised in Tropical Medicine (1991) and obtained his Masters in Public Health (2000).

Helena Andrews  - Project Manager

HelenaHelena Andrews is an experienced Policy Adviser and Project Manager in global health and international development with experience of working for the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, the UK Department for International Development, the media and communication organisation Panos London, and the Swedish Mission to the United Nations. She is professionally qualified in Political Science from Lund University in Sweden, and holds a Master of Social Science.

Helena has a special interest in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights; international reproductive and maternal health policy; and policy development and policy influencing.

Charlene Bruneau  -  Administrator Charlene Bruneau

Charlene Bruneau has over 18 years’ experience in the UK’s National Health Service, Emergency and Urgent Care Centres, and more recently in the Department of Health UK, where she worked as a Personal Assistant and administrator for the International Clinical Lead for Maternal Health, supporting her on the UK Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths.

Her role also included supporting the UK Maternity and Newborn team and senior civil servants, overseeing key administrative and secretarial support. 

Resources
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