RWANDA— The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has partnered with the Rwanda Association of Midwives (RAM) to set up the country’s first midwifery center of excellence.
The announcement was made during stakeholders meeting in Kigali to commemorate the International Day of the Midwife.
The center aims to support RAM in recognizing the significant role midwives play as Rwanda strengthens its healthcare sector to match high-income countries.
It will serve as a hub for training new midwives while providing support and education to practicing midwives.
The center will also contribute to research efforts, generating new evidence and improving the quality of care for women and infants.
This research includes clinical trials, observational studies, and initiatives to identify best practices and evaluate existing interventions.
The center will require a combined effort from all stakeholders in the country’s health sector to be part of building resources to support midwifery in the country and the region.
UNFPA Country Representative, Kwabena Asante-Ntiamoah said, “UNFPA is planning to work with RAM in the coming years. We want to create a midwifery center of excellence and that’s where we are going to put our focus.”
Mr. Asante-Ntiamoah explained that the center will support midwives in strengthening competency-based midwife training, raising midwives’ voices on issues regarding maternal and newborn health, and improving service delivery.
The Chief Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Theophile Dushime, commended the midwives for their contribution to improving the country’s indicators in relation to neonatal and mortality rates.
Mr. Dushime called for more collaboration with development partners, and civil society organizations in support of the midwifery profession especially in the skills enhancement and service delivery areas.
“There are one or two midwives at each health center, but we must significantly improve this number if we want to deliver better quality services. The government has committed its support to the health sector,” Mr. Dushine noted.
The President of the Rwanda Midwives Association, Josephine Murekezi, said that midwives not only support pregnant women to make informed decisions that enable positive outcomes for themselves and their babies but are also lending their knowledge to education-related institutions of learning.
She appealed to the midwives to ensure professionalism in their work, follow the code of ethics, and be open to continuous learning.
The Executive Director of Health Development Initiative (HDI), Dr. Aflodis Kagaba, also noted that midwives are often seen as advocates for women’s health and well-being and are a critical component of the healthcare system.
Mr. Kagaba also highlighted that besides being trained to identify and manage complications during pregnancy and childbirth, their work is crucial in ensuring that the people they serve are provided with the right information, support, and guidance to make informed decisions for safe and positive birth experiences.
The UNFPA’s State of the World’s Midwifery report in 2021 highlighted the impact of skilled midwives on maternal and newborn health.
Countries that invest in a capable midwifery workforce experience improved survival rates for mothers and babies.
Midwives also play a vital role in providing sexual and reproductive health information, including family planning, and addressing sensitive issues in various contexts, including humanitarian settings.
However, the report emphasized the alarming consequences of the global shortage of skilled midwives, with maternal and newborn deaths on the rise.
To address this issue, the report recommended universal access to midwives as the most effective and cost-efficient solution to prevent maternal deaths.
By closing the midwifery workforce gap, two-thirds of maternal and newborn deaths could be prevented, saving over 4.3 million lives annually by 2035.
The Global Midwifery Symposium held during the International Maternal and Newborn Conference (IMNC) in South Africa emphasized the urgent need to integrate midwifery into maternal and newborn health programs worldwide.
The symposium partners pledged to speak with one voice and coordinate efforts to maximize the impact of midwifery on women’s lives and health as the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals approaches in 2030.
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