Dr. Celestino dos Santos

Dr. Celestino dos Santos is the senior obstetrician and gynaecologist at Hospital Dr. Ayres de Menezes, the national hospital of São Tomé and Príncipe. He is the principal specialist responsible for maternal health and obstetric care across São Tomé island, making his role both clinically demanding and nationally significant in a country where specialist medical resources are extremely limited. Over a 17-year career at the hospital, Dr. dos Santos has presided over a large proportion of the island's deliveries, including all high-risk and surgical births that require specialist oversight. São Tomé and Príncipe has made considerable progress in reducing maternal mortality over the past two decades, and Dr. dos Santos has been a central clinical figure in that effort. He trained in Portugal at the Maternidade Alfredo da Costa in Lisbon — one of Portugal's leading maternity hospitals — before returning to contribute to his home country's healthcare system. He is fluent in Portuguese, Forro, and the local creole, allowing him to engage with all communities across the island. He runs both the inpatient obstetric service and the outpatient antenatal and gynaecology clinic, and he coordinates with the country's midwifery workforce on obstetric emergency protocols.

Dr. dos Santos completed his Licenciatura em Medicina at the Universidade de Coimbra in Portugal. He completed his specialist residency (internato de especialidade) in Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the Maternidade Alfredo da Costa in Lisbon, Portugal's busiest dedicated maternity hospital and a major training centre for Portuguese-speaking physicians from Africa and Brazil. His training included high-risk obstetrics, operative delivery, gynaecological surgery, and family planning. He has attended continuing medical education programmes in maternal health and obstetric emergency care, including workshops supported by WHO's Regional Office for Africa and by UNFPA in São Tomé.

Dr. dos Santos manages all aspects of obstetric and gynaecological care at Hospital Ayres de Menezes. In obstetrics, he provides antenatal care for high-risk pregnancies including pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, multiple gestation, and previous caesarean delivery. He performs both elective and emergency caesarean sections, forceps-assisted delivery, and manual removal of placenta. He manages life-threatening obstetric emergencies including postpartum haemorrhage, uterine rupture, obstructed labour, and severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. In gynaecology, he manages cervical and uterine pathology, performs vaginal hysterectomy and colporrhaphy for pelvic organ prolapse, and manages ectopic pregnancies including laparotomy for ruptured ectopic. He provides comprehensive family planning services including IUD insertion, tubal ligation, and contraceptive counselling. When cases exceed local capacity, he coordinates referral and evacuation to Gabon or Portugal.

Dr. dos Santos has contributed to UNFPA and WHO-sponsored assessments of emergency obstetric care capacity in São Tomé and Príncipe, providing clinical data on delivery patterns, caesarean section rates, and maternal near-miss events at Hospital Ayres de Menezes. His clinical observations have been incorporated into national maternal health strategy documents produced by the Ministry of Health. He has participated in training programmes aimed at strengthening the midwifery workforce on the island, which is a key component of the national maternal mortality reduction strategy.

Hospital Dr. Ayres de Menezes is the only maternity facility on São Tomé island, and Dr. dos Santos provides obstetric and gynaecological services to all women on the island regardless of nationality. International visitors, tourists, and expatriate workers who are pregnant or develop gynaecological conditions during their stay are managed at the hospital. Dr. dos Santos communicates in Portuguese and can work with administrative staff for English-language communication. For international patients who are pregnant and planning extended stays on the island, antenatal consultation with Dr. dos Santos can be arranged through the hospital's outpatient clinic. Patients who require specialist investigation or complex procedures not available on the island will be advised on evacuation pathways to Libreville, Gabon, or Lisbon, Portugal.

Dr. dos Santos has been recognised by the Ordem dos Médicos de São Tomé e Príncipe for his exceptional dedication to maternal health over nearly two decades at the national hospital. UNFPA has acknowledged his cooperation in national reproductive health programme evaluations. The Ministry of Health has formally recognised his contribution to the improvement in maternal health indicators in São Tomé and Príncipe. Colleagues in the nursing and midwifery services credit him with building a culture of obstetric emergency preparedness within Hospital Ayres de Menezes's maternity unit.