FIGO at 70: A conversation with Dr Sanjay Gupte on reaching the ‘unreached’
From pioneering ethical guidelines to addressing the pressing challenges facing women's health, Dr Sanjay Gupte, former Chair of the FIGO Committee on Ethical and Professional Aspects of Human Reproduction and Women's Health, shares insights that illuminate the path towards a healthier, more equitable world for women, girls and newborns.
Tell us about your involvement with FIGO throughout the years
The first FIGO conference that I attended was in Singapore, in1992. I had the privilege of presenting an oral paper on ‘Medical termination of pregnancies in 524 unmarried girls - social and medical aspects.’ I was fascinated by the academic environment of FIGO and awed by the precise organisational arrangements of FIGO events. Since then, I have attended every single one of the FIGO congresses.
What led you to get involved with FIGO initially?
I worked for one of FIGO’s members - The Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI)- first as Chair of the Medical Termination of Pregnancies (MTP) Committee, then as Vice President and finally becoming President of FOGSI in 2010. This experience gave me the opportunity to interact closely with many international FIGO colleagues and healthcare professionals. This led to mutual exchange of knowledge and ideas and further opportunities to collaborate in various fields, especially working in Hypertensive Diseases of Pregnancy locally and abroad.
What FIGO achievement are you most proud of?
During my time as Chair of the FIGO Committee on Ethical and Professional Aspects of Human Reproduction and Women's health, along with my colleagues namely Prof Frank A Chervenak and Prof Laurence B McCullough, we were able to completely update all the ethical statements of FIGO and author a lot of the publications. This is landmark work and legacy for the time to come.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges to overcome in our journey to improve the health and rights of women girls and newborns worldwide?
As far as the basic right of health is concerned, FIGO should reach more and more smaller societies across the world especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The great evidence-based knowledge which is available in high income countries should also reach LMICs. This gap needs to be bridged through vigorous efforts. To achieve this, FIGO should invest in building capacity within their committees and ensure they have wide representation and more focused efforts.
As far as the rights of women and girls are concerned, FIGO should be able to first form consensus on various rights issues and speak out in the global stage despite religious and political differences.
What would you like to see from FIGO in the next 30 years?
FIGO should be a ‘go to’ organisation for ensuring every woman can access the right care at the right time. We can achieve this through working together with member societies and health care professionals to ensure we ‘reach the unreached!’.
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