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Midwifery project seeks to reduce Kenya's maternal deaths
The main entrance to Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi. It is the largest maternity hospital in East Africa, with more than 20,000 deliveries annually and 100 midwives.
What you need to know:
- The partnership was announced Friday by United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed during her visit to Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi on International Day of the Midwife.
- Midwives Association of Kenya chairperson Teckla Ngotie welcomed the partnership, saying it would enable midwives in Kenya to deliver high-quality, safe and dignified healthcare to women, girls and newborns.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Kenyan government plan to establish a midwives initiative to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
The partnership was announced on Friday by United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed during her visit to Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi in commemoration of International Day of the Midwife.
According to Ms Mohammed, the midwives will be trained and supported with a range of maternal and newborn health equipment to enhance health facilities' capacity to deliver skilled care, including emergency obstetric and newborn care services.
Midwives Association of Kenya chairperson Teckla Ngotie welcomed the partnership, saying it would enable midwives in Kenya to deliver high-quality, safe and dignified healthcare to women, girls and newborns.
Well done!
Lauding the midwives at Pumwani and across the globe for their commitment to the health and well-being of women and newborns, Ms Mohammed noted that although midwives provide 90 per cent of sexual and reproductive health services, they represent less than 10 per cent of the global maternal and newborn health workforce.
According to a press release released by the UNFPA, Pumwani, with 1,00 midwives, is the largest maternity hospital in East Africa, registering more than 20,000 deliveries annually.
However, UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem, who accompanied Ms Mohammed, expressed concern that the situation was still not ideal.
"There is currently a global shortage of nearly a million midwives. Governments must act quickly to close this treacherous gap and invest in midwifery through education, training, and fair wages. Midwives deserve the support of all of us as they perform the life-saving work they do every day," said Dr Kanem.
International Day of the Midwife is celebrated on May 5 every year to recognise midwives' work and contribution to maternal and newborn health.
