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ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT IN OBSTETRICS (ALSO) BRAZIL

JOAO BATISTA, MD 1 ; LEE T DRESANG 2 ; MARCOS YMAYO, MD 1
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• Introduction and Objective The Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) course was established in Brazil in 2000. Since that time over 5200 Brazilian maternity care providers have taken the course. In addition to teaching ALSO throughout the country, Brazil has introduced the course to Portugal and Angola. • Methods The number of instructors and participants trained has tracked since the inception of ALSO in Brazil. Where the course has been taught has been mapped over time. Reasons for success and challenges faced have been documented. • Results and Conclusions The ALSO course in Brazil has grown steadily from 2000-2016 and is now taught throughout the country. Maps give visual documentation of its steady expansion. Reasons for the successful dissemination include a dedicated core team of teachers and powerful partnerships. Important partnerships include contracts with the Ministry of Health and the Word Bank. Challenges include a need for more core instructors and more financial resources to cover course costs. Travel costs are significant given the size of Brazil. Brazil has become an international leader in ALSO. In fact, the 2016 ALSO International ALSO Meeting is being held in Rio in conjunction with the WONCA World Congress. Having established ALSO in Portugal and Angola, ALSO Brazil plans to introduce the course to Mozambique and Benin as well.