Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians & Gynecologists

ESOG News

ESOG, ACOG Conducted Annual Leadership Meeting

The Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ESOG) and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) have conducted the annual leadership meeting in Washington DC from May 2 through 4, 2017. During the event the annual activities were reviewed and year two activities and action points were agreed. The first year activity review was found to be successfully accomplished as in the plan.

The meeting was attended by ACOG leadership: Tom Gillehose, president, Barbra Levey, v. president, Carla Eckardt, director of the global women health, Dr. Berhanu Tadesse Taye, program director, Prof. Doglas Lube, Prof. Bert Paterson. Hannan A., program specialist of ESOG-ACOG Program, and Elizabeth O’Connell, MPIA, director of development. The Center for International Reproductive Health Training (CIRHT) was also represented by Jenet Hall, and Olivia. Led by the President of ESOG, Dr. Dereje Negussie, the Ethiopian team brought Dr. Balkachew Nega, vice president of ESOG, Mengistu H. Mariam, Dr. Muhdin Abdo, Dr. Mahlet Yigeremu, (all board members) and Dr. Abdulfetah Abdulkadir of the CME Committee.

The event also involved the Annual Clinical Meeting (ACM) of ACOG, which was conducted in San Diego from May 6 through 9, 2017. Five of the leadership team and eight more members of ESOG have attended the event. CMEs, panel discussions, and the presidential inauguration of Dr. Heywood Brown were all part of the main event.

Press Release, Dr. Tedros Adhanom’s Election as WHO Director General

We at the Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ESOG) would like to congratulate Dr. Tedros Adhanom in his latest success becoming the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO). Winning more votes than the two other candidates combined, Dr. Tedros will begin his five years term as Director General beginning July 1, 2017.

Prior to his election as WHO’s next Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia from 2012–2016 and as Minister of Health, Ethiopia from 2005–2012. He has also served as chair of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; as chair of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership Board; and as co-chair of the Board of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.

As Minister of Health, Ethiopia, Dr Tedros Adhanom led a comprehensive reform effort of the country's health system, including the expansion of the country’s health infrastructure, creating 3500 health centers and 16 000 health posts; expanded the health workforce by 38 000 health extension workers; and initiated financing mechanisms to expand health insurance coverage. As Minister of Foreign Affairs, he led the effort to negotiate the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, in which 193 countries committed to the financing necessary to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

As Chair of the Global Fund and of RBM, Dr Tedros Adhanom secured record funding for the two organizations and created the Global Malaria Action Plan, which expanded RBM’s reach beyond Africa to Asia and Latin America.

Dr Tedros Adhanom will succeed Dr Margaret Chan, who has been WHO’s Director-General since 1 January 2007.

We at ESOG believe that the decision of members states to elect Dr. Tedros Adhanom as the next Director General of WHO is not only the right one, but also the timely one.

We congratulate Dr. Tedros again and wish him all the success in his future endeavor.

Year II Draft Plans Tabled

Draft plans for year II of the Collaborative Project of the Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ESOG) and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) were tabled during a meeting among leaders of the thematic areas and project coordinators hosted at ESOG’s Project Office on April 13, 2017. The meeting also saw an addition of a new thematic area focusing on medical ethics.

Now properly deliberated and commented upon by the Ethiopian team, the draft plans are to be taken to the US for further deliberation with the ACOG team, which is expected to happen early in May. Once approved and agreed upon by both sides, the project continues into its second year, which will start in September.

The ESOG-ACOG collaborative project was launched in June, 2016 with the objective of addressing four thematic areas: Resident Ship, Continuing Medical Education (CME), Journal Development, Certification and Accreditation, E-learning, Resource Center, PR & Communication and Leadership Development. The thematic areas t be addressed added yet another area, Medical Ethics.