The Working Party on International Safe Motherhood & Reproductive Health (ISM&RH) focuses on women’s health in low and middle income countries and non Western immigrants in the Netherlands.

Globally, around 800 women die per day due to pregnancy and delivery related problems.

The WHO announced a decrease of 44% of maternal mortality between 1990 and 2015, but that means still 330.000 women die every year due to pregnancy or childbirth (216 deaths per 100.000 live births).

The sustainable development goals (SDG) aim for less than 70 maternal deaths per 100.000 live births by 2030.  The majority (99%) of these deaths still occur in low income countries and most deaths are preventable.  Read more.

The workingparty ISM&RH a part of the Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (NVOG) and the Dutch Society of Tropical Medicin and International Healthcare (NVTG) .

The members of the workingparty ISM&RH are (former) doctors International Healthcare and Tropical Medicine and (resident)  gynaecologists. They form an accessible, walking library of knowledge and experience

Women deserve a healthy pregnancy and parents deserve a healthy baby!

Goal

The workingparty aims to improve maternal and women’s health in low income countries  by starting twinning projects with local organisations and people. These projects lead to improved knowledge and skills of local and Dutch Healthcare workers. Scientific research is supported by improving networks and providing scientific knowledge and experience. This has led to a number of dissertations which you can find here.

The workingparty contributes actively to the training of residents International Healthcare and Tropical Medicin. In addition, the working party aims to improve the awareness of Dutch doctors for maternal and women’s health in low income countries and women with low income in the Netherlands.

Advisory Board

The ISM & RH has a firm body of knowledge. Almost every member of the working party has working experience in low income countries, many of them are also active in the field of science and education. Members of the ISM & RH can contribute ideas and give advice about founding and developing projects worldwide. Some members supervise students and/or residents International Healthcare and Tropical Medicin in their PhD trajects.