Abstract:
Obstetric medicine is a subspecialty of internal medicine that involves the management of medical conditions that may affect the course of
pregnancy. It is an established subspecialty in many parts of the world, with recognised training programmes and an active international
society; however, no formal training programme has been developed in South Africa (SA) as yet. Medical problems are responsible for
the majority (60%) of maternal deaths in SA and women of childbearing potential are disproportionately affected by medical conditions
such as HIV and obesity. Obstetric physicians would play a complementary role in the care of pregnant patients and could contribute to
improving maternal health and lowering the maternal mortality rate in SA
