Every year an estimated 260,000 women die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, and around one million newborns die on the day they are born. Over 90% of these deaths are preventable and occur disproportionately in low-resource settings.

Laerdal Global Health and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), invited FIGO Member Societies in low- and middle-income countries to apply for birthing simulators and Helping Mothers and Babies Survive educational materials, so more clinical teams can practice essential skills before they are needed in real-life emergencies.

Why simulation-based training matters

Simulation-based training gives healthcare workers the opportunity to practice both normal births and birth complications in a safe and realistic environment. By practicing as a team, repeatedly and close to the point of care, providers build competence, confidence, and faster decision-making for time-critical emergencies; such as postpartum hemorrhage.

12 FIGO Member Societies and other collaborators awarded training equipment

Following the call for applications, alongside other collaborators, 12 FIGO member societies have been awarded 546 to support their planned or ongoing maternal and newborn health workforce initiatives. The award includes MamaBirthie CS and MamaNatalie birthing simulators, along with access to Helping Mothers and Babies Survive educational materials. In total, 546 simulators will be distributed to the successful FIGO member societies, supporting the training of over 7,700 healthcare professionals.

·       Associação Moçambicana de Obstetras e Ginecologistas

·       Association of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians of Tanzania

·       Association of Gynecologists and Obstetricians of South Sudan

·       Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Uganda

·       Federation of Obstetric & Gynaecological Societies of India

·       Rwanda Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

·       Sociedad Boliviana de Obstetricia y Ginecología

·       Sociedad de Ginecología y Obstetricia de Honduras

·       Société Congolaise de Gynécologie et d’Obstétrique

·       Société des Gynécologues et Obstétriciens du Burkina

·       Association of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians of Tanzania

·       Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Ghana

Our partnership with FIGO

This initiative is delivered in partnership with FIGO and is made possible through Laerdal’s Buy One, Gift One program – where every product purchased helps fund the donation of Laerdal training equipment to settings with the highest burden of maternal and newborn mortality. By supporting FIGO Member Societies, that are already positioned to train at scale, we aim to strengthen local capacity and embed ongoing, high-quality practice into pre-service and in-service education.

We are grateful to all FIGO Member Societies that applied and to the clinical leaders driving this work forward. We hope this equipment and training support will help teams strengthen their capacity to manage childbirth and complications, making safer births a reality around the world.