International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics
Professional medical organization
The International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, usually just FIGO ("fee'go") as the acronym of its French name Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie et d'Obstétrique, is a worldwide non-governmental organisation representing obstetricians and gynaecologists in over one hundred territories. It was founded on 26 July 1954 in Geneva, Switzerland, to "promote the well-being of women and to raise the standard of practice in obstetrics and gynaecology". Membership is currently composed of 132 professional societies ('National Member Societies') of obstetricians and gynaecologists worldwide.
The headquarters of FIGO was initially located at Geneva, Switzerland. The FIGO Secretariat is located at London, United Kingdom.[2]
Core activities
The aim of FIGO is to improve the health and well-being of women and newborns worldwide. FIGO works to enable every woman to achieve active participation in her own health and rights, and the highest possible standards of health. It is financed by dues of member societies, grants, and educational activities.
FIGO's work covers many critical aspects of obstetrics and gynaecology and women's health and rights, including:
adolescent health
cervical cancer
environmental health
refugee and migrant health
noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)
sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
universal health coverage (UHC)
FIGO implements global programmes on specific women's health issues, in collaboration with National Member Societies and/or partner organisations. These include:
Fistula Surgery Training Initiative
Postpartum Family Planning (PPIUD)
Advocating Safe Abortion Project
Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH)
FIGO Committees and Working Groups are dedicated to critical sub-specialty issues across obstetrics, gynecology and related fields:
Contraception and Family Planning (Committee)
Ethical and Professional Aspects of Human Reproduction and Women's Health (Committee)
Fistula and Genital Trauma (Committee)
Gynecologic Oncology (Committee)
Human Rights, Refugees and Violence Against Women (Committee)
Menstrual Disorders (Committee)
Minimal Access Surgery (Committee)
Pregnancy and Noncommunicable Diseases (Committee)
Reproductive Developmental Environmental Health (Committee)
Reproductive Medicine, Endocrinology and Infertility (Committee)
Safe Abortion (Committee)
Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health (Committee)
Urogynecology and Pelvic Floor (Committee)
Benign Breast Disease (Working Group)
International Childbirth Initiative (Committee)
Postpartum Haemorrhage (Working Group)
Preterm Birth (Working Group)
Classification systems
Uterine bleeding
FIGO System 1 for uterine bleeding. The system for definition and nomenclature of normal and abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) in the reproductive years.
In 2011, FIGO recognized two systems designed to aid research, education, and clinical care of women with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) in the reproductive years.
"FIGO Newsletter" – published monthly, electronically
FIGO Ethics Guidelines have been reproduced (with commentary) in academic periodicals: e.g. (2006) 7 Medical Law International 361.
World Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics
FIGO conducts a triennial meeting, the World Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology.[7] In addition the society sponsors fellowships, lectures, provides reports about women's health, and offers grants. Importantly through international committees consensus guidelines are achieved about evaluation and treatment of gynecological and obstetrical disorders.
German stamp, XI FIGO World Congress 1985
Member associations
The following 124 professional societies are members of FIGO as of December 2010:
Afghan Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Albanian Association of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Republic of Moldova
Society of Palestinian Gynaecologists and Obstetricians
South African Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, The
Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Svensk Förening För Obstetrik & Gynekologi (The Swedish Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology)
Syrian Society of Obstetricians & Gynecologists
Taiwan Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The
Turkish Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Ukrainian Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, The
Vietnam Gynaecology and Obstetrics Association VINAGOFPA
Zambia Association of Gynaecologists & Obstetricians (ZAGO)
Zimbabwe Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, The (ZSOG)
Former Presidents
Source:[8]
Hubert de Watteville, president from 1954-1958, first FIGO president
Leon Gérin-Lajoie, president from 1954-1958, Quebecois professor
Raymond Keller, president from 1959-1961
Howard C. Taylor, Jr, president from 1961-1964
Giuseppe Tesauro, president from 1964-1967
Alfonso Alvarez-Bravo, president from 1967-1970
John Harold Peel, president from 1970-1973, leading British obstetrician and gynecologist, Surgeon-Gynaecologist to Elizabeth II from 1961 to 1973, present at a number of royal births
Balachandra Nikanth Purandare, president from 1973-1976
Robert Caldeyro-Barcia, president from 1976-1979, Uruguayan doctor, pioneer in the field of maternal-fetal medicine, co-creator of Montevideo units, a measure of uterine performance during labor
Keith Palmer Russell, president from 1979-1982
Claude Sureau, president from 1982-1985
Shan Rattan, president from 1985-1988
José Aristodemo Pinotti, president from 1988-1991, Brazilian physician, gynecological surgeon, university professor, scientific and educational leader and politician
John J. Sciarra, president from 1991-1994
Mahmoud F. Fathalla, president from 1994-1997
Markku Seppälä, president from 1997-2000, Finnish specialist in obstetrics and gynecology, published approximately 500 peer-reviewed studies in international journals, winner of multiple awards such as the Matti Äyräpää Prize
Shirish Sheth, president from 2000-2003
Arnaldo Acosta, president from 2003-2006
Dorothy Shaw, president from 2006-2009, first female FIGO president
References
^Samarasekera, Udani (6 October 2023). "Anne-Beatrice Kihara: taking the helm at FIGO". The Lancet. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(23)02242-0. ISSN 0140-6736.
^"Ovarian cancer". DynaMed. June 18, 2015. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015.
^"Ovarian Cancer Staging" (PDF). Society for Gynecologic Oncology. 1 January 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 November 2014.
^"Congress". Archived from the original on 2010-07-10. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
^Ludwig, H. (2004). "The Presidents of FIGO". International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 86: 135–165 – via Wiley’s Obstetrics and Gynaecology Online Library.