The final conference for the COST Action ISI405: Building Intrapartum Research Through Health - an interdisciplinary whole system approach to understanding and contextualising physiological labour and birth (BIRTH), was recently held in Malta, organised by Prof. Jean Calleja Agius, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.

The BIRTH COST Action brings together over 100 scientists, artists, professionals, activists, political stakeholders and service users, from around 30 countries in Europe and beyond, to try to understand the range and limits of normal childbirth physiology in different populations, individuals, and contexts.

In the opening speech, Her Excellency The President of Malta, Dr Marie Louise Coleiro Preca thanked the team behind this BIRTH COST Action for work done, to generate essential and much-needed research related to maternal and neonatal health, and stated: 'I would like to encourage them to take this research, and use it to raise the political profile around this issue, as they are in a perfect position to provide the politicians and policy-makers of our nations with the relevant resources, to improve the wellbeing of expectant mothers. All of our countries have a clear responsibility to safeguard and to protect every mother. For this reason, let me recommend that this research is a first step, to create an EU-wide Observatory on holistic and equitable maternal healthcare.'

During the last day of this conference, held in Malta, a new association was set up, the International Birth Research Association (IBRA), with the Steering Committee headed by Prof. Soo Downe from the University of Central Lancashire, as President, and Prof. Jean Calleja Agius, as Vice-President. The first General Assembly was held on 6 November 2018 at the University of Malta Valletta Campus. 

For more information regarding IBRA, including membership, please contact Prof. Jean Calleja Agius by email.