ESOG has Undertaken Series of Trainings

Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ESOG) has been undertaking a series of training under its project- Strengthening the Capacity and Improve Quality of Reproductive Health (FP & CAC) and Reducing Stigma on Safe Abortion Care Service Providers. A series of training was conducted on comprehensive family planning with emphasis on Long-Acting Family Planning (LAFP) methods in Debre Birhan and Adama From December 2020 to January 2021. The training was being provided for health care providers of the projects in the Amhara and Oromia Regions respectively.

The main purpose of the training was to build the capacity of health care providers to provide quality family planning services, ensuring a continuous service provision based on client choice. A total of 75 health care workers, two from each hospital and one from each health center, were provided three rounds of training. The trainees have performed counseling and implant and IUCD insertions on models and clients. The training had practical sessions on catchment health centers.

Another training that involved 2 trainees from 12 hospitals was also conducted from January 10- 20, 2021 in Adama Town, the Oromia Regional State.

Long-Acting Family Planning (LAFP) methods, specifically Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices [IUCDs] and implants provide uninterrupted protection to women for 3 to 12 years. A good opportunity to provide IUCD is in the post-partum and post-abortion periods. But they must be inserted by trained providers in a safe clinical environment. With limited facilities and few providers, widespread implementation of LAFP in Ethiopia requires training of significant numbers of rural providers and developing properly equipped facilities for implant and IUCD insertions. Based on this, the Ministry of Health (MoH) and ESOG have organized the training and the participants were from ESOG project facilities and those selected by MoH.

ESOG-FIGO Collaboration to Launch New Website

The Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ESOG) is collaborating with the International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (FIGO) on a new website called “Ask Dr. FIGO” – launching June 2021. The free-to-use website is meant to help users find answers to their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) questions.

The website has language support customized to allow users to ask questions and receive answers in Amharic or English. Other local languages will also be included in the future. The user asks SRHR questions anonymously, which will then be received by registered ESOG member OB-Gyns, sexual and reproductive health professionals. The professionals use the doctor platform to then prep and publish their answers, where the user is then able to return to access the information.  

The new platform, which has been under development for over a year, is expected to answer questions from adolescents and the general public in major cities and towns throughout Ethiopia. The platform will be launched as a pilot for a year to eventually go fully operational. Taking the lessons learned from the project in Ethiopia, it will also be launched in many African countries and others worldwide in all of their respective local languages.

The website has language support customized to allow users to ask questions and receive answers in Amharic or English. Other local languages will also be included in the future. The user asks SRHR questions anonymously, which will then be received by registered ESOG member OB-Gyns, sexual and reproductive health professionals. The professionals use the doctor platform to then prep and publish their answers, where the user is then able to return to access the information.  

The new platform, which has been under development for over a year, is expected to answer questions from adolescents and the general public in major cities and towns throughout Ethiopia. The platform will be launched as a pilot for a year to eventually go fully operational. Taking the lessons learned from the project in Ethiopia, it will also be launched in many African countries and others worldwide in all of their respective local languages.

The project is also working with the Ministry of Health and other initiatives like YEGNA to promote the use of the new platform.