Through evidence-based approaches, innovative practices, and global collaboration, the MOMENTUM Safe Surgery program expanded access to high-quality, person-centered surgical care. By focusing on key areas such as obstetric fistula, caesarean delivery prevention, and voluntary family planning, the program worked to eliminate barriers to care, improve outcomes, and advance the global commitment to ending preventable maternal deaths and injuries.
This program built upon EngenderHealth’s decades-long commitment to ending obstetric fistula, integrating these efforts with improved access to family planning services.
As the MOMENTUM Safe Surgery Director, Dr. Vandana Tripathi, notes:
This project was the first USAID-funded effort in safe surgery, and one of the first global initiatives to recognize and act on health systems needs for surgical interventions across maternal and reproductive health care. We built a framework for strengthening surgical ecosystems to support people in seeking, reaching, and receiving appropriate care, and in 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 across the life course to reduce the burden of preventable mortality and morbidity in low-resource settings.
The tools and insights generated through this work remain crucial for advancing safe surgery within maternal health programs, and the evidence produced continues to guide global health policy.
MOMENTUM Safe Surgery was implemented across 11 countries—led by EngenderHealth and supported by core partners like IntraHealth International, Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Together, we provided crucial training, scaled evidence-based practices, and generated global tools that continue to benefit healthcare providers and organizations working in maternal health and family planning.
The legacy of the MOMENTUM Safe Surgery program is now available to global health professionals, policymakers, and partners in the form of over 60 technical resources. These include implementation guides, policy briefs, case studies, training materials, and peer-reviewed publications, all of which are accessible on our website.
These resources provide the evidence and best practices needed to carry this work forward. Whether you are looking to integrate surgical safety into your own programs or contribute to global efforts to improve maternal and family planning care, these tools are designed to support sustainable, high-quality care.
How can fistula programs ensure women return not just healed, but safe? At EngenderHealth, we are integrating gender-based violence screening and support into fistula care—advancing a more holistic, rights-based approach to women’s health. Explore how this work is reshaping care standards.
Explore new composite measures that capture the complex barriers women face in accessing fistula care in Nigeria and Uganda. This open-access study, published in BMC Women’s Health, was conducted by EngenderHealth’s Fistula Care Plus and supported by USAID’s MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics project. It aims to understand the layered barriers of poverty, gender, stigma, and geography faced by women in need of fistula care.
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The EngenderHealth-led, USAID-funded MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics project analyzed health care provider behavior such as knowledge, attitudes and perceptions, skills, and supervisor support, to identify gaps and opportunities in service provision. Download this rapid review document to explore their key findings and how to better invest in evidence-based behavior change programs. Journal article originally published in Global Health: Science and Practice.
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While the MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics program may have come to an end, its legacy endures. The insights and tools created through this program will continue to shape the future of maternal and family planning care. By using these resources, partners can ensure that the lessons learned and practices developed through this program continue to improve healthcare systems and save lives for years to come.
