As we mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol), we, the undersigned organizations, commend achievements in advancing women and girls’ rights in the continent. This legal instrument has established a comprehensive framework that outlines the standards which states should follow in promoting and protecting women's rights.

Together, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and the Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation have published a joint editorial in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics (IJGO).¹ Authored by Dr Denis Mukwege and Dr Jeanne Conry, the article calls on health professionals to speak out and join the campaign to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.

The Division of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Wellbeing, with its three Committees – the Committee on Contraception,

Inclusion of contraception and abortion in SRHR elements of curricula would provide students with a strong and relevant foundation for their professional lives and prepare them to be competent and caring practitioners. It may also promote the normalisation of, and positive attitudes towards, SRHR as basic medical care – in particular, abortion and contraception. This would contribute to efforts to remove stigma and support the assurance of future provision of essential sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, care and rights across the lifespan. 

The most common risk situations in pregnancies include anaemia, high blood pressure and high blood sugar. Undernutrition and iron deficiency anaemia causes one in five maternal deaths. Around 20% of women of childbearing age have anaemia, which can have profound effects on pregnancy, including impaired foetal neurodevelopment with subsequent long-term consequences.  

Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) in pregnancy is one of the most common medical conditions affecting women during pregnancy – It impacts 12% of live births in Latin America. 

Professor Bo Jacobsson, Director of FIGO's Division of Maternal and Newborn Health, said, "Preterm birth - when babies are born too soon - is the leading cause of death in children under five. In almost all countries, preterm birth rates are rising. Many survivors of preterm births face a lifetime of disability, including learning disabilities, visual and hearing problems, and long-term development issues. FIGO will be part of the Decade version of Born to Soon in May 2023 to build action around the effort to reduce preterm delivery".  

Helping to move Latin America closer to achieving its scientific, health care and sustainable development goals, the FIGO Regional Congress is hosted in collaboration with the Federación Colombiana de Obstetricia y Ginecología (FECOLSOG) and the Federación Latinoamericana de Sociedades de Obstetricia y Ginecología (FLASOG).  

London, UK, October 5, 2022 — This past Sunday marks 100 days since the overturning of Roe v Wade. Not only has the proliferation of state bans following the Supreme Court’s ruling dramatically shifted the abortion access landscape in the US, overturning Roe v Wade has had a negative impact on abortion access overseas. 

The decision to eliminate Roe v Wade was a catastrophic blow to the lives of millions of women, girls and pregnant people who face the prospect of being forced to continue unwanted pregnancies.