Dr. Voahangy Rakotoarisoa

Dr. Voahangy Rakotoarisoa is an obstetrician-gynaecologist at CHU de Befelatanana — one of Antananarivo's principal academic hospitals — with 14 years of specialist practice dedicated to improving maternal and reproductive health in Madagascar. Madagascar has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in Sub-Saharan Africa, driven by a combination of delayed care-seeking, high fertility rates, malnutrition, severe anaemia, and inadequate access to emergency obstetric care in rural areas. Dr. Rakotoarisoa's work at CHU Befelatanana places her at the apex of Madagascar's obstetric referral system, where she manages the most complex and dangerous obstetric emergencies referred from health facilities across the Analamanga region. She is highly experienced in managing malaria in pregnancy — a particularly dangerous combination in Madagascar's high-transmission plateau and coastal zones — as well as severe anaemia, pre-eclampsia, and post-partum haemorrhage. Beyond emergency obstetrics, Dr. Rakotoarisoa provides comprehensive gynaecological outpatient care including cervical cancer screening through colposcopy, management of uterine fibroids, treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease, and family planning counselling. She is a committed medical educator, supervising obstetric residents and students from the Université d'Antananarivo at the CHU.

Dr. Rakotoarisoa completed her Doctorat en Médecine at the Faculté de Médecine d'Antananarivo. She pursued specialist training in obstetrics and gynaecology through the CHU Befelatanana's residency programme, earning her DES en Gynécologie-Obstétrique. She subsequently undertook advanced training in emergency obstetric care (EmOC) through a programme supported by UNFPA Madagascar, and has participated in workshops on obstetric fistula management, cervical cancer prevention, and family planning supported by the Maternité Sans Risques programme. She holds ALSO (Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics) certification.

Dr. Rakotoarisoa's clinical expertise centres on managing high-risk and emergency obstetric conditions in a resource-constrained academic hospital setting. She is proficient in emergency and elective caesarean section, operative vaginal delivery, and the full range of interventions for post-partum haemorrhage including uterotonics, bimanual compression, B-Lynch suture, and peripartum hysterectomy in extreme cases. She is experienced in managing malaria in pregnancy with artemisinin-based combination therapy adapted for pregnant women, and in treating severe anaemia with IV iron, blood transfusion, and nutritional supplementation. In gynaecology, she performs colposcopy and cervical biopsy for cancer screening, manual vacuum aspiration for incomplete miscarriage, and management of ectopic pregnancy.

Dr. Rakotoarisoa has contributed to UNFPA-supported maternal mortality audits in Madagascar, providing clinical analysis of preventable deaths in Antananarivo's hospitals. She co-authored a study on malaria prevalence in pregnant women attending CHU Befelatanana's antenatal clinic and its correlation with adverse pregnancy outcomes. She has presented at the Société Malgache de Gynécologie-Obstétrique annual conference on improving post-partum haemorrhage management protocols in Madagascar's public hospital system.

Dr. Rakotoarisoa consults in French and Malagasy and provides care for international patients in Antananarivo including expatriates, tourists, and members of the Malagasy diaspora from France, Réunion, and Mayotte. She provides comprehensive antenatal care, gynaecological consultations, and obstetric emergency management. For patients with pregnancy complications requiring a level of care beyond Madagascar's capacity — such as complex foetal surgery or neonatal intensive care — she facilitates referrals to South Africa or Réunion and provides full obstetric documentation for continuity of care.

Dr. Rakotoarisoa was recognised by the Société Malgache de Gynécologie-Obstétrique for her contributions to emergency obstetric training and for her sustained clinical excellence at CHU Befelatanana. She received a commendation from UNFPA Madagascar for her participation in the national safe motherhood programme and was nominated as an ALSO instructor to train other healthcare providers in emergency obstetric skills across the Analamanga region.