Satoru Takeda, MD, PhD. Fellow of College of Surgeons.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Juntendo University.
Aiiku Research Institute for Maternal, Child Health and Welfare, Imperial Gift Foundation Boshi-Aiiku-Kai.
The 22nd Congress of the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies (Congress Chair; Professor Mamoru Tanaka, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keio University School of Medicine) was held on October 7-9, 2023, at Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo, Japan (Figure 1). The keynote lecture and Workshop 1 for “Maternal and Child Health Handbook” were held in the presence of Her Imperial Highness Crown Princess Akishino in the Opening Ceremony of FAOPS 2023 on October 7, 2023.
The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Handbook was created in Japan. Nearly fifty countries have introduced the MCH handbook for perinatal care. It has contributed greatly to health promotion for mothers and children. Recently, a digital handbook has been spreading progressively as it complies with our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) policy. We believe the MCH handbook might be one of the most effective tools to achieve health promotion for all mothers and children. Perinatal care in the world has made rapid progress in recent decades, leading to dramatic declines in maternal, perinatal, and neonatal mortality, achieving remarkable improvement of perinatal outcomes.
However, in Western countries, the number 1 cause of maternal death is suicide. In 2016, maternal suicides attributable to psychiatric disorders, were revealed to become a serious issue in Japan as well. Untreated perinatal depression and psychiatric disorders not only cause issues such as suicide, but are also related to pediatric developmental, mental disorders, neglect, and child abuse due to impaired nurturing ability. Previous generations focused on physical care challenges to decrease mortality rates. The Japanese current challenges are physical and mental health care and the establishment of postpartum aftercare for mothers and infants. It is in this context that we have organized a keynote lecture and workshop related to this MCH Handbook.
In this workshop, we have five speakers, including guests from Thailand and Philippines. We would like to know the current medical circumstances in the world and the effects of the MCH handbook on health promotion. Then, we would like to think about the issues and improvements using it moving forward.
Keynote Lecture: Yasuhide Nakamura, Friends of WHO Japan, Japan (Figure 2).
The health and well-being of mothers and newborns beyond Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Chair: Masao Nakabayashi, Imperial Gift Foundation Boshi-Aiiku-Kai Maternal and Child Health Center, Japan (Figure 3).
Chairs: Yasuhide Nakamura, Friends of WHO Japan and Satoru Takeda, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Juntendo University, Japan (Figure 4).
Speakers:
1) Keiko Osaki, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Japan (Figure 5).
Strengthening implementation of Maternal and Child Health Handbooks for maternal, newborn, and child health in the world.
2) Sarawut Boonsuk, Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health Thailand (Figure 6).
Ensuring safe birth for all: Thailand’s experience with the maternal and child health handbook during the COVID-19 Era.
3) Calvin S. de los Reyes, Graduate Program in Health Policy Studies, Department of Behavioral Sciences College of Arts and Sciences University of the Philippines, Philippines (Figure 7).
Universal Health Coverage and the MCH Handbook in the Philippines.
4) Tomohiko Sugishita, Tokyo Women’s Medical University Yakushima Onoaida Clinic, Japan (Figure 8).
Global Landscape of Mother and Child Health Handbook.
5) Shunji Suzuki, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nippon Medical School, Japan (Figure 9).
Future revisions of the Maternal and Child Health Handbook in Japan.
After the workshop 1, Her Imperial Highness Crown Princess Akishino had the opportunity to talk with the speakers and the participants and asked various questions, made comments, and had a pleasant chat (Figure 10). I assured that lectures about MCH handbook by prominent speakers stimulated lively discussions at the conference and this occasion became a precious opportunity to catch up with the newest trends and research in each country. We were also able to build new friendships and collaborations.
