The Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will be conducting a training course on emergency obstetric care for obstetricians and gynecologists from government hospitals, beginning 15 October.

The course aims at building national capabilities in emergency obstetrics, including supporting  unified and standardized skills.. The participants will discuss complications during pregnancy, childbirth and emergency cases, and the adoption of a national standard for evidence-based emergency obstetric care. The course will also explain how to acquire necessary skills through advanced educational materials and training on models. These simulations will prepare for later courses, which will include the largest number of specialists and students currently doing their specialization as possible.

The training will be conducted by Dr. Salah Sheikha, director of Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and president of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the College of Medicine at the University of Damascus, and Drs. Muhammad al-Tibaa and Asmaa Abdul Salam, professors in the College of Medicine, and Dr. Radwan Fayoumy, director of Al-Zahrawi Hospital.

This course is part of the Ministry of Health and UNFPA’s ongoing efforts to reduce Syria’s maternal morality rate, especially in the eastern governorates. Even though the maternal mortality rate has declined significantly, from 143 deaths for every 100,000 live births in 1990 to 58 in 2004, there is a need decrease the disparities between governorates to achieve the national goal of 32 by 2015. This depends on strengthening emergency obstetric care  and implementing recommendations from the Causes of Maternal Deaths Study conducted by the Ministry of Health with UNFPA support in 2006.

The course begins Wednesday, October 15 at 9am at the Carlton Hotel and continues through Friday 17 October.