Support for Midwife Groups and Training Improves Chances for Survival in Childbirth
SANN’A, Yemen – One year ago, five Yemeni midwives presented an action plan at an international conference that laid out plans for improving the status of maternal health in their country and for addressing policy and drug logistics.
A few months later, midwives from all over Yemen formally joined forces to confront maternal health, forming the first National Association for Midwives in the country’s history.
In Yemen, where an estimated 84 percent of deliveries take place at home and without the presence of skilled attendants, thousands of women die or suffer permanent injuries each year due to childbirth complications. Some childbirth complications, particularly postpartum hemorrhage -- the biggest maternal killer -- are preventable with the help of professional midwives.
Uniting into a midwives association is an important step to improve the quality of maternal and neonatal care, according to USAID Maternal Health Advisor Mary Ellen Stanton.
“A well-functioning midwifery association can play a vital role in keeping members informed of best practices and providing opportunities for their continuing education, and can help give midwives a seat at the policy-making table,” said Stanton.
The new association gives midwives in Yemen a forum to address critical issues in their profession.
For instance, it will give the Ministry of Health a medium for consulting midwives to bring them into the process of improving curriculum, standards, protocols, and training programs. It's also an opportunity for midwives to become involved in the design of a new reproductive health strategy for Yemen.
At a crowded first meeting in September 2004, more than 100 midwives from around the country gathered – at their own expense – to decide on the rules of procedure and elect their first administrative board.
Many more women die during labor in the developing world, where births are less often assisted by skilled personnel, than in the developed world. In 1996, for instance, skilled birth attendants were present at only 53 percent of births in the developing world, whereas in developed countries, skilled attendance is nearly universal. Countries where skilled attendance at delivery is low tend to have higher rates of maternal death and disability.
USAID has long supported midwifery in developing countries. Aside from helping midwives organize, the Agency supports curriculum development and training.
In Afghanistan, for instance, where maternal mortality statistics are among the worst in the world, USAID trains midwives, helps set professional standards for training and care, and improves midwifery education.
In the Philippines, USAID support has helped finance the improvement and expansion of over 217 local midwifery clinics since 2003. The Agency is also guaranteeing loans for health initiatives for the first time, as local banks established loans for midwives – a practice long perceived by lending institutions as risky business.
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