The Eastern, Central, Southern Africa College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ESCACOG) was launched during the Annual Conference of the Rwandan Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RSOG) on Sept 27-29, 2017 in Kigali, Rwanda.

Delegates from eight countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique participated on the launching event. Just before the launching event executive board members were elected and Ethiopia managed to get the position of Deputy Secretary General via the current president of Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ESOG Dr. Drerje Negussie. The nomination was mainly due to the rich experience of the ESOG working to improve training and service quality. Moreover, the fact that Ethiopia had been the founding and active member of the African Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AFOG) and ECSAOGS was also taken into consideration.

On the same occasion an agreement was made to enroll founding members of the new college and form council of the college by including two senior members of the country associations from all the member countries.

The ultimate goal of the college is to give examination and confer upon those who successfully pass the exam a fellowship of the college (F-ESACOG) which would be used to improve the profile and hence the desirability to be employed in Africa and beyond. It is also in a way a sub-regional quality assurance mechanism which stipulates the formation of collages in each member country and the application of standardized curriculum across specialty and sub-spatiality training in obstetrics and gynecology.