President
Dr Kusum Thapa
President of SAFOG, 2026–28.
NepalLed from everymember country.
SAFOG is governed by its Council, with an Executive Board of office-bearers drawn from the national societies and advisors who have led the Federation before.
13Office-bearers on the Executive Board
15Presidents since 1996
17Standing committees
The Executive Board.
Office-bearers of the Federation, as listed by SAFOG. The Executive Board was created by the constitutional amendments of 2021.
Nepal
Prof Farhana DewanSecretary General
Prof Lubna HasanPresident Elect
Prof Shyam DesaiImmediate Past President
Prof Yousaf LatifVice President
Prof Narendra MalhotraVice President
Prof UDP RatnasiriVice President
Prof Rowshan Ara BegumDirector International Relations
Dr Padam Raj PantDirector International Relations
Prof Sanath LanerolleTreasurer
Dr Mariam IqbalDeputy Secretary General
Sandesh PoudelAssistant Secretary General
Prof Jaideep MalhotraEditor
How the Council is made up.
Article 4 of the constitution sets out the Executive Council. It elects the office-bearers from among its members.
Office-bearersElected by the Council (4.6)
PresidentImmediate Past PresidentPresident ElectThree Vice PresidentsDirector International RelationsSecretary GeneralDeputy Secretary GeneralTreasurerEditorAssistant Secretary General
Past PresidentsMembers of the Council
Every past president of SAFOG
Committee chairpersonsNon-voting members
EducationResearchWomen’s sexual and social rightsMaternal and perinatal healthImagingEndoscopyNon-communicable diseaseReproductive endocrinology and endometriosisOncologyGuidelines development
The Assistant Secretary General is from the country of the President (4.14).
Advisors to the Federation.
Past presidents serve as advisors, with Prof Sir Sabartnum Arulkumaran of the United Kingdom as external advisor.
Prof Rashid Latif KhanAdvisor
Prof TA ChowdhuryAdvisor (deceased)
Prof Sudha SharmaAdvisor
Prof Farrukh ZamanAdvisor
Prof AB BhuiyanAdvisor
Prof Harsha SeneviratneAdvisor
Prof Alokendu ChatterjeeAdvisor
Prof Ashma RanaAdvisor
Prof Rubina SohaliAdvisor
Prof Ferdousi BegumAdvisor
Dr Rohana HaththotuwaAdvisor
Prof Sir Sabartnum ArulkumaranExternal Advisor
Presidents since 1996.
1996–98
Prof Rashid Latif KhanPakistan
Pakistan1998–2000
Prof TA ChowdhuryBangladesh
Bangladesh
2000–03
Dr Lakshman FernandoSri Lanka
Sri Lanka
2003–05
Dr D. K. TankIndia
India2005–07
Dr Sudha SharmaNepal
Nepal2007–09
Prof Farrukh ZamanPakistan
Pakistan2009–11
Prof AB BhuiyanBangladesh
Bangladesh2011–13
Prof H. R. SeneviratneSri Lanka
Sri Lanka2013–15
Prof Alokendu ChatterjeeIndia
India2015–17
Prof Ashma RanaNepal
Nepal2017–19
Prof Rubina SohaliPakistan
Pakistan2019–21
Prof Ferdousi BegumBangladesh
Bangladesh2021–23
Dr Rohana HaththotuwaSri Lanka
Sri Lanka2023–26
Prof Shyam DesaiIndia
India2026 –
Dr Kusum ThapaNepal
NepalAd-hoc committees.
Set up by the Council for a specific task.
Constitution review
Prof Farrukh Zaman
Chair · Pakistan. The 2021 review, with Dr Malik Goonewardene and Dr Shyam Desai, expanded the Council and its committees.
COVID-19 advisory committee
Dr Hemantha Perera
Chair · Sri Lanka.
Distinguished Services Award.
Instituted in 2015 for distinguished service to SAFOG.
Prof Sir Sabartnum ArulkumaranFirst recipient, for his service to SAFOG over the years
Prof Rashid Latif KhanThe founding father of SAFOG