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Objective and vision of the foundation
The Foundation for International Midwifery and Gynaecological Care is affiliated with the Working Party on International Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health (ISM&RH). This working group is a joint initiative of both the Dutch Society for Obstetrics and Gynaecology (NVOG) and the Netherlands’ Society of Global Health (NSGH).
The working group aims to improve maternal health and women's medicine in low-income countries through joint projects with local organisations and individuals. Such projects improve the knowledge and skills of local and Dutch healthcare providers. Scientific research is stimulated by investing in networks and making scientific knowledge and experience available. This has already led to several doctoral theses.
We actively contribute to the training of doctors in International Health Care and Tropical Medicine, and we strive to raise awareness of maternal health and women's medicine in low-income countries and among low-income women in the Netherlands.
The ISM&RH has the following objectives:
- focus on low-wage issues affecting women in the Netherlands
- improving maternal health and women's medicine in low-income countries
- stimulating scientific research on Global Health
- training doctors in International Health Care and Tropical Medicine
Agenda
Activities
2024
- 6 March Digital meeting at which two PhD students presented their doctoral theses.
- 14 June Symposium “Maternity care for asylum seekers”, MCL Leeuwarden. An evening attended by more than 100 maternity care workers from the 1e and 2e came together.
- 3 September Digital meeting on the topic of “Global Oncology”
- 29 November OLVG meeting on the subject of Female Genital Mutilation.
2025
- 5 February Digital meeting on the topic of “Maternal Health in Gaza”.
- 15 May Meeting in the form of a mini-symposium during Global Health Day, organised by the Global Health Knowledge Centre.
- 24 September Digital meeting on the topic of “Care for vulnerable women in Afghanistan”.
- 12 November Meeting for members and tropical medicine trainers on the topic of “AIG, what to do with it”. This meeting is linked to the gynaecology conference at the Van der Valk Hotel in Houten.
Science
The Safe Motherhood Series is a collection of dissertations by members of ISM&RH, started in 1995 by Dr Jos van Roosmalen.
A PhD is included in this collection if it meets the following recently defined criteria:
- The PhD topic meets the objectives of the ISM&RH and concerns Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health, mainly researched in rural middle-income areas.
- The PhD contains a page that refers to the Safe Motherhood series.
- The term “Safe Motherhood Series” is stated on the cover.
- At least one member of the ISM&RH is involved in the project as a supervisor or co-author (co-supervisor).
- The PhD thesis will be published on this website.
- The PhD candidate will present the PhD results at one of the ISM&RH meetings (regular meeting every two months, symposium or conference).
Anouk Verschuuren
Maternity care for refugees and asylum seekers in the Netherlands
University Medical Centre Groningen, the Netherlands, 10 January 2024
Lisa Calhoun
Contraceptive use and method choice among young people in sub-Saharan Africa: Are we meeting their reproductive health needs?
VU University Amsterdam, 5 February 2024
Gebi Husein Jima
Promoting contraceptive uptake to reduce the unmet need for family planning during the postpartum period in Ethiopia
University Medical Centre Groningen,
the Netherlands, 26 February 2024
Athanasios Kallianidis
Maternal morbidity and mortality in the Netherlands and their association with obstetric interventions
Leiden University Medical Centre, 16 March 2023
Steffie Heemelaar
Maternal health in Namibia: Lessons learnt from obstetric surveillance
Leiden University Medical Centre, 14 April 2023
Anke Heitkamp
Maternal deaths, near misses and great saves: severe maternal outcomes in Metro East, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Stellenbosch University, Cape Town
Town, South Africa/VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 14 April 2023
Paul Ramler
Postpartum Haemorrhage: From Insight to Action
Leiden University Medical Centre, 20 September 2022
Titus Kofi Beyuo
Optimising care and patient experience of pre-eclampsia in low- and middle-income countries
countries – the case of Ghana
UMC Utrecht, the Netherlands, 13 December 2022
Carrie J. Ngongo
Epidemiology and aetiology of genital fistulas in East Africa
Ghent University, Belgium, 10 February 2023
Susan Ontiri
Improving Access to Quality Family Planning Services in Kenya by Addressing Contraceptive Discontinuation
UMCG
Yadira Roggeveen
Participation and transdisciplinary collaboration and tools towards increasing skilled birth attendance
Amsterdam University Medical Centre, VU University Amsterdam, May 2021
Kim Verschueren
Maternal mortality, near-miss and stillbirths in Suriname
UMC Utrecht, December 2020
Natasha Housseine
Strategies to improve the quality of foetal monitoring and intrapartum care in high-volume, low-resource maternity units
Abstract
UMC Utrecht, December 2020
Rob Mooij
Safe Motherhood: Improving the quality of maternal and perinatal care in rural Tanzania
UMCG, September 2020
Nasrathulla Ansari
Quality of maternal and newborn healthcare in healthcare facilities in Afghanistan
Abstract
UMCG, 2019
Felix Sayinzoga
Health system factors affecting maternal and neonatal health in Rwanda
Abstract
Radboud University Medical Centre, 2019
Barbara Nolens
Reintroduction of vacuum extraction in a tertiary hospital in Uganda.
Abstract
VUMC, 2019
Ada Gillessen
Towards better prognostic and diagnostic strategies for major obstetric haemorrhage.
Abstract
LUMC, 2019
Richard Kalisa
Hospital-based audit of obstetric care and birth preparedness in rural Rwanda.
Abstract
VUMC, 2019
Ibukun-Oluwa O. Abejirinde
Diagnostic and clinical decision support systems for antenatal care
care: is mHealth the future in low-resource settings?
Abstract
VUMC, 2018
Dunstan Raphael Bishanga
Improving access to quality maternal and newborn care in low-resource settings: the case of Tanzania
Abstract
UMCG, 2019
Tienke Vermeiden
Maternity waiting homes in Ethiopia to improve women’s access to maternity care
Abstract
UMCG, 2019
Abera Kenay Tura
Severe maternal morbidity and mortality in eastern Ethiopia.
Abstract
UMCG, 2019
Nanna Maaloe
Assisting birth attendants in providing acceptable care under unacceptable clinical realities: the Partoma intervention study at Zanzibar’s tertiary hospital.
Abstract
University of Copenhagen, 2019
Sharon J.N. Kibwana
Increasing access to anaesthesia in Ethiopia: task shifting.
Abstract
VUMC, 2017
Firew Ayalew Desta
Improving frontline health workers’ performance in low-resource settings; the case of Ethiopia.
Abstract
VUMC, 2017
Tegbar Yigzae Sindekie
Identifying needs for optimising the health workforce in Ethiopia.
Abstract
VUMC, 2017
Marielle Bemelmans
Getting the job done, providing lifelong HIV treatment in settings with limited human resources for health: innovative approaches.
Abstract
VUMC, 2016
Tom Witteveen
Severe Acute Maternal Morbidity, risk factors in the Netherlands and validation of the WHO Maternal Near Miss tool.
University of Leiden, 2016
Cora Bakker
Regaining dignity, community-based social therapy in Rwanda, Eastern Congo and Liberia.
Abstract
VUMC, 2016
Ellen Nelissen
Improving maternal outcomes in rural Tanzania using obstetric simulation-based training.
VUMC, 2014
Marrit Smit
Obstetric emergencies in primary midwifery care in the Netherlands.
Abstract
LUMC, 2014
Jogchum Beltman
Health professionals and maternal health in Malawi; mortality and morbidity at district level.
Abstract
VUMC, 2013
Marcus Rijken
Malaria in pregnancy: ultrasound studies on foetal growth.
UMCU, 2012
Abstract
Angelo Nyamtema
Leading change in the maternal healthcare system in Tanzania: application of operations research.
Ifakara, Tanzania, VUmc, 2012
Thomas van den Akker
Medical Mirrors: Maternal care in a Malawian district.
VUmc, 2011
Luc van Lonkhuijzen
Delay in safe motherhood.
University of Groningen, 2011
Joke Schutte
Confidential enquiries into maternal deaths in the Netherlands 1993–2005.
VUmc, 2010
Joost Zwart
Severe maternal morbidity in the Netherlands: the LEMMoN study.
Vumc, 2009
Jeroen van Dillen
Obstetric audit in Namibia and the Netherlands.
Vumc, 2009
Afisha Yakubu Zakariah
Beyond the numbers: confidential enquiries into maternal deaths in Accra, Ghana.
Free University of Brussels, Belgium, 2008
Godfrey Mbaruku
Improving the survival of mothers and their newborns in Tanzania.
Karlinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, 2005
Jelle Stekelenburg
Health care seeking behaviour and utilisation of health services in Kalabo District.
VUmc, 2004
Wilbert Spanish
Vaginal birth after caesarean section in Zimbabwe and the Netherlands.
University of Amsterdam, 2004
Diederike Geelhoed
Reproductive health matters in rural Ghana.
Leiden University, 2003
Ashok Mungra
Confidential enquiries into maternal deaths in Suriname.
Leiden University, 1999
Nico Schuitemaker
Confidential enquiries into maternal deaths in the Netherlands, 1983–1992.
Leiden University, 1998
Douwe Verkuyl
Family planning as part of reproductive health, including HIV/AIDS aspects, in Zimbabwe and Southern Africa
Barbara Kwast
Unsafe Motherhood, a monumental challenge.
A study of maternal mortality in Addis Ababa.
Jos van Roosmalen
Maternal Healthcare in the Southern Western Highlands of Tanzania
Gijs Walraven
Perinatal assessment in rural Tanzania.
Nijmegen University, 1995
Akosua de Groot
The role of oral (methyl)ergometrine in preventing postpartum haemorrhage.
Nijmegen University, 1995
About
Board
Organisation of the working group's management (2025)
Prof. Dr. Thomas van den Akker, chairperson
Naomi Vink, Treasurer, since 24 June (previously Jeroen van Dillen)
Drs. Willemijn van der Veen, interim secretary.
Prof. Jelle Stekelenburg, general member
Dr Ephraim Hart, general member – focus area: politics
Drs. Stephanie Thierens, secretary not in office
All tasks performed by the board are voluntary. No remuneration is paid.
ANBI Foundation
Our foundation is officially registered as ANBI (Public Benefit Organisation). This means that we are committed to the public interest and comply with the conditions set by the Tax and Customs Administration. Thanks to our ANBI status, donations to our foundation are tax deductible. This allows us to make even more of an impact together with our donors.
Name of ANBI: Foundation for the Support of International Midwifery and Gynaecological Care
Chamber of Commerce Number: 30280609
RSIN/tax number: 821895849
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