Around 1,000 participants from 23 countries are expected to congregate for the 18th Asian and Oceanic Congress of (AOCOG) Obstetrics and Gynaecology here in Bangalore for the 5-day international meet. The first of a kind meet is expected to throw more light on the issue of preventable deaths during maternity, which was around 454 per lakh population and is now increased to 2,500 deaths per lakh. The lack of adequate care and the social trauma of children who lose their mothers in such circumstances will be addressed. According to doctors, number of women who succumb to deaths during maternity is higher than the cases who die during natural calamities.

The conference is scheduled for inauguration tomorrow by Karnataka chief minister SM Krishna and former Supreme Court Chief Justice Venkatachalaiah.

In a press meet here in the city, Dr. Kamini A Rao, leading gynaecologist and organising chairperson, AOCOG said that the objective of the meet is five fold- safe motherhood awareness, new techniques in obstetrics and gynaecology interactions with medical practitioners and facilitation of exchange programmes.

Some of the leading names in obstetrics and gynaecology, genetic ultrasound, hypersensitive-diabetic pregnancy and foetal assessment will be present. The list of the eminent speakers is Dr. Sivanesaratnam, R D Pandit, Dr.Kamini Arao, Dr.Pankaj Desai, Dr. Yuji Murata, John Campbell and several others.

"While the delegates of developed nations can share their best practises and lessons in the use of high-end technology in obstetrics and gynaecology, those of developing countries can share the high quality healthcare at affordable cost and their success in treating huge patient population, one of them being AIDS control in Thailand," she added.

The slogan of the Congress is 'Women Empowered through Health' and it will also adopt a declaration on violence against women, which will be signed by the AOFOG president. There will also be a public forum to deliberate issues related to HIV-AIDS.

For the first time the use electronic system of registration with bar codes on identity badges is made. According to Dr. Kamini Rao, the bar codes will provide all information of doctors and the database will be brought out as a CD-ROM to be passed on the pharmaceutical industry.

There will be four plenary sessions - Maternal and Foetal Medicine, Oncology, Infertility & Endocrinology and General Obstetrics and Gynaecology where technology innovation will be highlighted with a focus on rural health care. In addition there will be three plenary sessions planned.

"We plan to see women's health is optimum in all countries. The issue of female foeticide is common in all Asian countries and it is important to bring out the fact that mere seizing of ultrasound machines will not be enough instead action should be taken against the doctors and the educated patients," said Dr. Prakash A Mehta, organising secretary.