Meeting Objectives

Welcome to the Postpartum Hemorrhage Community of Practice (PPH COP) Virtual Annual Meeting web page! During the two-day virtual conference, we will share latest updates from around the globe, discuss emerging evidence, and learn from country implementation. We will hear from experts beyond the moment of PPH and the impact of life events on a woman’s chance of experiencing PPH. We will orient PPH COP members to new initiatives in PPH programming and research and will explore opportunities to close coverage, equity, and quality gaps in PPH prevention and treatment in low-resource settings.

Together, we’ll work to align the maternal, newborn, and child health community on strategies; mobilize support to spark action; and accelerate progress toward targets and key priorities to end preventable deaths from PPH. And we’ll determine how best to support ministries to drive system changes for sustainable implementation of best practices for postpartum hemorrhage.

When: September 13–14, 2023, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (GMT–4)

PPH CoP Steering Committee 2022-2023

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 2023 Annual Meeting agenda above.

If you are interested in joining the PPH Steering Committee for 2023–2024, please email PPH.CoP@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 a  Principal Technical Advisor 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. As a co-investigator on the E-MOTIVE Trial, she works with programs to implement the WHO 1^st response bundle for PPH. She formerly served on the World Health Organization expert consultation on PPH at cesarean section and the technical working group for the Midwifery Toolkit. She is currently co-chair of the Postpartum Hemorrhage Community of Practice.

Elimase Kimanga

Executive Director for White Ribbon Alliance Malawi with over 20 years’ experience in maternal and newborn health managerial and technical positions at both nongovernmental organizations and the Ministry of Health in Malawi. Previously served as the Technical Director for Clinical Services for the USAID’s- Organized Network for Everyone’s Health (ONSE) project; the Technical Advisor for USAID’s Every Preemie—SCALE project; the Newborn and Child Health Advisor for the Support for Service Delivery Integration (SSDI) activity, Principal Nursing and Midwifery Officer for Dedza District Hospital in Malawi. She is a Registered Nurse Midwife with MSc in Reproductive Health, BSc in Nursing, Certificates in Midwifery, leadership and project management.

Gathari Ndirangu

Dr. Gathari Ndirangu is an Obstetrician/Gynecologist with over two decades of clinical, research and public health experience. As Global Director of FP/RH at Jhpiego, he works with stakeholders to design and implement integrated evidence-based family planning, and reproductive, maternal and newborn health interventions. 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 to improve their health outcomes and transform their lives. He has contributed to policy and guideline development, and strategic health leadership at the global and regional levels and is committed to the training and mentoring of the next generation of leaders in health. Dr. Ndirangu is a past Co-Chair of the Postpartum Hemorrhage Community of Practice.

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.

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.

Kusum Thapa

Over 30 years of experience as an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist in Nepal and the United Kingdom. As the Senior Technical Advisor for USAID’s Momentum Global and Country leadership, has been actively involved in providing technical capacity development assistance and contributing to global technical leadership and learning. Member of the WHO Technical Working Group on Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR), Co-Chair of Capacity Building Sub Working Group of WHO’s MPDSR Technical Working Group. Visiting Guest Speaker for the Oxford Global Surgery Course, on Task sharing/shifting, ethics and advocacy in Global Surgery.

Past President of the Society of Obstetrician and Gynecologist Nepal (NESOG) and Vice President of SAFOG (South Asian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecologist). Led Figo/NESOG, PPFP/PPIUD Project and Figo Logic Project in Nepal.

Acknowledged with several awards including: Certificate of Appreciation for Contribution to the Journal of Nepal Medical Association as the Chief Editor from 2008-2011, best article award from the Right Honorable President of Nepal Dr. Ram Baran Yadav and received an award from the Right Honorable President of Nepal, Bidya Devi Bhandari for outstanding contribution in the field of reproductive health.

Andrew Weeks

Andrew Weeks is Professor of International Maternal Health Care at the University of Liverpool and Director of the Sanyu Research Unit. He was brought up in Kenya, but had his undergraduate and postgraduate medical training in the UK. In 2001-3 he was visiting lecturer in O&G at Makerere University in Uganda. In 2003 he joined the University of Liverpool and was awarded a personal chair in 2011. He is honorary consultant obstetrician at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, one of the UK’s largest obstetric units.

Andrew’s primary interest is in the translation of maternity care from high to low resource settings. He has a particular interest in misoprostol, postpartum haemorrhage and the management of labour. He develops medical technologies and has 3 patents pending for clinical devices. He has over 200 publications and currently runs clinical trials in the UK, Uganda and India, funded by the MRC, Wellcome Trust, DFID and NIHR.