Meeting Objectives

The Postpartum Hemorrhage Community of Practice (PPH CoP) Annual Meeting will again be virtual for 2022. During the two-day virtual conference, participants will review and discuss guidelines and implementation barriers, participate in in-depth discussions on key PPH topics of interest such as the use of tranexamic acid (TXA) for PPH, the intersection of PPH and cesarean section, share implementation success and shortcomings, identify existing challenges and obstacles, and discuss potential solutions. We will orient PPH CoP members to new initiatives in PPH programming and implementation research and will explore opportunities to close coverage, equity, and quality gaps in PPH prevention and treatment in low-resource settings.

When: June 28-29, 2022, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (GMT–4)

Where: Start here for daily agendas, Zoom links to sessions, speaker biographies, and additional resources

Resources

• WHO model list of essential medicines – 21st list, 2019
• WHO recommendations for the prevention and treatment of postpartum haemorrhage
• WHO recommendation on Routes of oxytocin administration for the prevention of postpartum haemorrhage after vaginal birth
• WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA Joint Statement- Appropriate storage and management of oxytocin – a key commodity for maternal health
• Joint statement of recommendation for the use of tranexamic acid for the treatment of postpartum haemorrhage
• Joint statement of recommendation for the use of uterotonics for the prevention of postpartum haemorrhage
• Quality of medicines for life-threatening pregnancy complications in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
• Uses of Medicines for Prevention and Treatment of Post-partum Hemorrhage and Other Obstetric Indications

PPH CoP Steering Committee 2021-2022

The Postpartum Hemorrhage Community of Practice Steering Committee formed at the conclusion of last year’s PPH CoP Annual Meeting. The Steering Committee consists of ten volunteer members who have deep experience in the field of PPH prevention and management and who are passionate about ending preventable maternal deaths due to PPH.

Two rotating co-chairs lead the PPH CoP Steering Committee. These co-chairs help drive the activities and ensure that the group is meeting the Vision & Mission & Goals outlined below. Over the past year, this dynamic and diverse group of 10 volunteers have disseminated the latest global guidelines to the PPH CoP, developed and led webinars on hot topics in the PPH field, and crafted the 2022 Annual Meeting agenda above.

If you are interested in joining the PPH Steering Committee for 2022-2023, please email Brianne.Kallam@jhpiego.org. Please include a short statement on why you are interested in joining the PPH CoP steering committee and kindly attach your CV.

David Ntirushwa, Co-chair

Dr. Ntirushwa is a consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist at the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK) where he heads the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and coordinates clinical activities related to women’s health. He has experience in the management of common causes of maternal morbidities and mortalities, the adaptation of global guidelines to the country or local level, and research. Dr. Ntirushwa has served in a national leadership capacity as the President of the Rwanda Medical Association and advisor to the Rwanda Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. As a member of the National Maternal Death Surveillance Committee, he is focused on maternal health improvement interventions.

Cherrie Evans, Co-chair

Dr. Cherrie Evans is a midwife with over three decades of clinical, research, and public health experience. As Director of Helping Mothers Survive at Jhpiego, she works with global stakeholders to design and implement programs to build the capacity of the health workforce in low and middle-income countries. She formerly served on the World Health Organization technical working group for the Midwifery Toolkit and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Postpartum Hemorrhage Working Group. She is currently co-chair of the Postpartum Hemorrhage Community of Practice.

Debrah Lewis

Debrah Lewis is a founder and current Executive Director of Mamatoto Resource & Birth Centre, where she remains in active midwifery practice. She is currently a  Midwifery Consultant for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Latin America and the Caribbean office, a Board Member of the North West Regional Health Authority, and serves as an independent consultant on midwifery matters.

She has served on the Board of the International Confederation of Midwives with headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, and is a member of their Scientific Program Planning Committee

Debrah is the recipient of a National Award for The Development of Women – Gold – for her work in Community Service and Midwifery in Trinidad & Tobago; and was selected by Women in Global Health in 2020 as one of the 100 Outstanding Nurse and Midwife Global Leaders.

Elimase Kimanga

Elimase Kamanga is the Technical Director/Clinical Services Advisor for the USAID-funded Organized Network for Everyone’s Health (ONSE) Activity and has over 19 years of experience in maternal and newborn health, working in both managerial and technical positions for nongovernmental organizations and the Ministry of Health in Malawi. She has previously served as the Technical Advisor for the USAID-funded Every Preemie—SCALE (Scaling, Catalyzing, Advocating, Learning, and Evidence-Driven) project and the Newborn and Child Health Advisor for the Support for Service Delivery Integration (SSDI) activity, a USAID bilateral project. She has also served as the Principal Nursing Officer for Dedza District Hospital in Malawi. She is a Registered Nurse Midwife with MSc in Reproductive Health, BSc in Nursing, and has a Certificate in Midwifery.

Gathari Ndirangu

Dr. Gathari Ndirangu is a family planning, reproductive, maternal, newborn, and adolescent health specialist with more than 21 years’ experience in clinical work, technical support, research, and program management in sub-Saharan Africa. He currently serves as the Director of FP/RH at Jhpiego. Dr. Ndirangu is a strong advocate for the improvement of health investments and the provision of integrated quality health care services for women and children in low- and middle-income countries, including fragile settings. He is a firm believer in promoting self-care for women, their children, and families as a tool to improve their health outcomes and empowerment. Dr. Ndirangu has provided strategic leadership and management of health programming in FP/RH, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and clinical care for women, and training/mentoring the next generation of leaders in health in Africa.

Anne Kihara

Dr. Anne Kihara has served as the President of the African Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a FIGO member of the Non-Communicable Disease Committee, President Emeritus of the Kenyan Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (KOGS), a Fellow of the College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ECSACOG), a Senior Lecturer at the University of Nairobi, and a consultant obstetrician and gynecologist. She has worked on flagship programs related to PPH and hypertensive disease in pregnancy with the goal of reduction of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. She has participated in teaching, research, publications, technical guidance, policy, and advocacy related to women’s health. She has also been a keynote speaker on these topics locally, regionally, and globally.

Nancy Kidula

Dr. Nancy Kidula is an obstetrician and gynecologist with over 20 years’ experience in clinical, public health, programing, and implementation of MNCH/FP/RH programs. She is the focal person for Reproductive and Women’s Health in the WHO Intercountry Support Team for East and Southern Africa based in Harare, Zimbabwe. She supports countries to adapt, domesticate, and implement evidence-based global guidance in reproductive and women’s health, including guidance for PPH prevention and management from the World Health Organization.

Farzana Maruf

Farzana Maruf is a maternal and newborn health specialist committed to improving the health and well-being of low- and middle-income communities globally. She has led country teams and programs to improve reproductive, maternal, and child health outcomes by introducing evidence-based, high-impact, and low-cost interventions to strengthen health systems. Ms. Maruf has expertise across the fields of medicine, implementation science, and global health with a transdisciplinary perspective. She also has extensive experience in service delivery and quality improvement, governance, the private sector, strategic partnerships with donors and humanitarian actors in complex adaptive health systems, and working in fragile and conflict-affected environments.

Sam Ononge

Dr. Sam Ononge is a Senior Lecturer at Makerere University College of Health Sciences in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He is a trained Obstetrician and Gynecologist, and clinical epidemiologist. Dr. Ononge has been a practicing clinician for over 20 years and currently practices at Kawempe National Referral and Teaching Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. He is a distinguished leader in reproductive health research, specifically in the reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality with a special interest in postpartum hemorrhage.

Dr. Sam Ononge is a member of the faculty of Makerere University. He is also a member of the Association of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists of Uganda, the East Central & South African Obstetric & Gynaecological Society, and chairs the Sub-committee on PPH for the Uganda National Safe Motherhood Executive Committee.