The Legacy Lives On: MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics Resources Are Now Available
How MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics Improved Maternal Health and Family Planning Services
From 2020 to 2025, the MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics program advanced surgical safety in maternal health and voluntary family planning across 11 countries. Now, even though the program has ended, its impact lives on through more than 60 resources now available on EngenderHealth’s website.
The MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics program—led by EngenderHealth and funded by USAID—worked to improve access to high-quality, person-centered surgical care. This included lifesaving emergency obstetric surgery, voluntary family planning methods such as long-acting reversible contraceptives and permanent options, and fistula treatment services.
This work built upon decades of leadership and innovation, including EngenderHealth’s longstanding commitment to ending obstetric fistula through the Fistula Care and Fistula Care Plus programs.
As MOMENTUM Safe Surgery and Fistula Care Plus Director Dr. Vandana Tripathi noted:
“This project was the first USAID-funded effort in safe surgery and reflected long-term advocacy by EngenderHealth to recognize and act on the common health systems needs for surgical interventions across maternal and reproductive health care. We built an innovative framework to support people across four key stages of the surgical care pathway: seeking, reaching, and receiving appropriate care, and remaining connected to the health system for integrated follow-up after discharge. The innovations created through the program provide a foundation for partners to continue expanding access to quality surgical care to reduce the burden of preventable mortality and morbidity.”
Meeting Critical Gaps in Surgical Care for Women and Families
In partnership with local governments and communities, we strengthened health systems, trained thousands of healthcare providers, and advanced global goals to reduce maternal mortality and eliminate preventable injuries like obstetric and iatrogenic fistula.
Unfortunately, in early 2025, the program was terminated early as part of the broader dismantling of USAID.
When the digital infrastructure that once housed MOMENTUM’s tools and knowledge was taken offline, the EngenderHealth team moved quickly to preserve what we could.
What We Did: Strengthening Surgical Systems and Expanding Access
MOMENTUM Safe Surgery focused on ensuring safe, informed, and consented surgical care.
Our work included:
- Expanding access to voluntary family planning through postpartum intrauterine device insertion, contraceptive implant removal, vasectomy, and tubal ligation
- Strengthening the safety of obstetric surgery, including peripartum hysterectomy and caesarean delivery
- Addressing both prevention and treatment of obstetric and iatrogenic fistula
- Training providers and building local capacity to sustain high-quality surgical care
Download 60+ MOMENTUM Safe Surgery Resources to Improve Care
Now, this body of work is available to all. On our website, you’ll find more than 60 technical resources—training materials, implementation guides, policy briefs, case studies, peer-reviewed publications, and more.
These materials represent a powerful and practical legacy. They are meant to be shared, cited, and used by health professionals, implementing partners, and policymakers who are committed to improving maternal and reproductive health through safe surgical care.
Carry the Legacy Forward
MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics was a transformative initiative that ended far too soon. But thanks to collaboration, commitment, and quick action, its insights and tools will continue to support progress toward safer, more equitable care—long into the future.