OTTAWA, June 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the first time, experts from across Canada will gather to discuss the prevention of maternal mortality in Canada in an effort to implement a national, standardized, and sustainable approach to maternal mortality review and prevention. The Inaugural Summit on Maternal Mortality in Canada will be hosted by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) on June 6, during their Annual Clinical and Scientific Conference in Ottawa.
“People would be surprised to learn that there are still women dying during and after pregnancy in Canada”, says Dr. Diane Francoeur, CEO of the SOGC. The UK and the USA have programs to address the main contributing factors, but in Canada it is the SOGC who is leading the efforts for prevention of maternal deaths. “Canada does not have sufficient data about the prevalence of deaths, nor do we have any information about racial disparities, particularly with respect to our Black and Indigenous Women, or the prevalence of mental health problems during or after pregnancy. This Summit will address these issues.”
“A reduction in maternal mortality has traditionally been used as a critical measure of progress in improving maternal health, and the maternal mortality ratio is one of the main indicators of a country’s status in the area. Maternal mortality is devastating for families, for communities and for care providers. In some cases, there are no interventions that can save a mother’s life, but in others, there are opportunities for prevention. There is absolute consensus that the upper limit for a preventable maternal death is zero,” said Dr. Jocelynn Cook, Chief Scientific Officer at the SOGC.
The purpose of the summit is to review the state of maternal health in Canada and to share experiences, information, and resources in order to implement a national, standardized, and sustainable approach to maternal mortality review and surveillance with the ultimate goal to eliminate preventable deaths.
Topics covered:
- A keynote panel about how to hear family voices, perspectives and experiences related to maternal mortality.
- Learning from severe maternal morbidity events to improve care.
- The state of maternal health in Canada: what’s happening?
- Approaches, models and outcomes in UK and USA
- Taking action: what do we know from our data and what are the big gaps?
- Maternal mortality vs mental health, substance abuse and suicide
- Racial disparities and their implications for maternal mortality: how do we close gaps?
Website for the conference schedule: Program - Tuesday, June 6 (sogc.org)
The SOGC is one of Canada’s oldest national specialty organizations and has been a leader of the advancement of women’s health since 1944.
CONTACTS:
Patrick O’Reilly, SOGC Communications Specialist
Tel: 438-370-5095
Email: poreilly@sogc.com
