Bringing Global Health Home: IMI Iraq Women & Newborn conference

Despite sustained progress in reducing maternal deaths & infant mortality rates in Iraq, concerted efforts are still required to push the country closer to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on maternal health (MDG 4) and infant mortality (MDG 5). According to Dr. Syed Jaffar Hussain, the WHO representative in Iraq, though the last two decades have witnessed “slow but sustained progress” for the health of Iraqi mothers, this progress would “still not be enough for Iraq to meet the planned MDG target of reducing the maternal mortality ration by 75 per cent in 2015.” The available estimates by the UNFPA currently place Iraq among the 68 countries that account for 97% of maternal and child deaths. The main causes behind this high rate are: Poor birth practices, inadequate referral or availability of emergency obstetric care and high level of anemia among pregnant women (35%), which particularly affect rural women and those in the Centre and South Regions.

A component of IMI’s work in Iraq therefore is aimed to address this critical need by improving maternal and newborn healthcare services locally. To this end, IMI delegates provide medical services and capacity building in specialized areas as well as risk management, and administration to develop models to facilitate optimized efficient processes, increase productivity and encourage updated technologies in areas of need. This conference was an initial step towards the fulfillment of IMI’s goals to address MDGs 4&5 in Iraq and consists of lectures, workshops and hands-on surgical sessions to promote health for women and newborns.

This IMI Conference was held in collaboration with the University of Kufa, School of Medicine (Iraq).

The Conference Agenda:

April 2014

Day-1 | Sunday | 13 April, 2014

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Registration & Coffee

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Opening Ceremony: Senior Iraqi Officials & IMI Global President, Dr Sarwat Hussain

10:30 AM -11: 00 AM
Coffee Break

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Global Challenges in Maternal & Child Health | Dr Reza Nassiri

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Option 1: Current Situation of Healthcare Centre in Iraq | Dr Zainab Khafaji
Option 2: Patient Safety: Risk Management in Obstetric | Dr Fatima Husain & Dr Haidar Mahmoud

1:00 PM -2:30 PM
Lunch (& Prayer Break)

2:30 PM-3:30 PM
Option 1: Newborn Health | Dr Layla Al-Nakib, Dr Raid Umran & Sr. Ruhi Rizvi
Option 2: Hands on Surgical Session | Dr Amer Raza, Dr. Fatima Husain & Dr. Haidar Mahmoud

Day-2 | Monday | 14 April, 2014

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Coffee

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Postpartum Hemorrhages management | Dr Haidar Mahmoud & Dr Fatima Husain

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Radiology: Use of interventional radiology in postpartum hemorrhage and fibroid embolization | Dr Sarwat Hussain & Dr Hasnain Haider

11:00 AM - 11.30 AM
Coffee Break

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) in Pregnancy | Dr Bahareh Aslani

12:30 PM -2:00 PM
Lunch (& Prayer Break)

2:00 PM- 3:30 PM
Hands on Surgical Sessions | Dr Amer Raza, Dr. Fatima Husain & Dr. Haidar Mahmoud

Day-3 | Tuesday | 15 April, 2014

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Coffee break

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Minimally Invasive Surgery | Dr Amer Raza

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Workshop: Minimally Invasive Surgery Part 1: Dr Amer Raza, Dr. Fatima Husain & Dr. Haidar Mahmoud

11:00 AM– 11:30 AM
Coffee Break

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Workshop: Minimally Invasive Surgery Part 2: Dr Amer Raza, Dr. Fatima Husain & Dr. Haidar Mahmoud

12:30 PM -2:00 AM
Lunch (& Prayer Break)

2:00 PM-3:30 PM
Hands on Surgical Sessions | Dr Amer Raza, Dr. Fatima Husain & Dr. Haidar Mahmoud

Day-4 | Wednesday | 16 April, 2014

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Coffee

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Workshop: ALARM Part 1 | Dr Haidar, Dr. Fatima Husain & Dr. Amer Raza

11:00 AM– 11:30 AM
Coffee Break

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Workshop: ALARM Part 2 | Dr. Haidar Mahmoud, Dr. Fatima Husain & Dr Amer Raza

12:30 PM -2:00 PM
Lunch (& Prayer Break)

2:00 PM-3:30 PM
Hands on Surgical Sessions | Dr Amer Raza, Dr. Fatima Husain & Dr. Haidar Mahmoud

Day- 5 | Thursday | 17 April, 2014

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Coffee

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Activities TBD | University of Kufa

12:30 PM -2:30 PM
Closing Ceremony