Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Obstetrics & Gynaecology is a clinical and academic discipline based in Johannesburg, South Africa, centered within tertiary teaching hospitals such as Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. Established as a university-affiliated specialty department in the late twentieth century, it functions as a public academic unit dedicated to maternal, fetal and reproductive health, integrating service delivery, specialist training and research.

Research focuses on maternal and neonatal outcomes, emergency obstetric care, and health system performance in low and middle income settings. Work on postpartum hemorrhage, HIV vertical transmission prevention, thromboembolism, cardiac disease in pregnancy, and rare gynecologic malignancies highlights strong expertise in managing high risk pregnancies and complex comorbidities.

A growing emphasis on climate change and heat exposure explores biological pathways linking environmental stress to preterm birth and neonatal risk. Through clinical trials, systematic reviews and implementation research, the unit advances context relevant innovations and multidisciplinary strategies that strengthen obstetric care across Sub Saharan Africa.