Journey of life for mothers: Midwives play key role
Midwives all over the world celebrate the International Day of the Midwife (IDM) annually on May 5 to provide them with an opportunity to reflect on their achievements and challenges over the past year and plan towards a better midwifery for improved quality of care in the most innovative and strategic way.
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The IDM is a day initiated by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), which organises the event each year. It is recognised by the UN to celebrate midwives. In Ghana, the celebration of IDM has been spearheaded by the Midwifery Association for the past 26 years.
The theme for this year’s celebration is: "Midwives, Mothers and Families: Partners for Life!"
Midwives everywhere understand that by working with women and their families they can support them to make better decisions about what they need to have to go through a safe and fulfilling birth. The best partnership for a pregnant woman is with a qualified midwife.
The first IDM was launched and celebrated on May 5 1991, on the theme: “Towards safe birth for all by the year 2000.” The day was established to be celebrated annually to fulfil the demand of the theme: “The World Needs Midwives Now More Than Ever”.
Events
A variety of events are organised during the celebration in order to support the “Safe Motherhood” initiative, as well as promote the midwifery profession across the world by increasing the awareness of their contributions.
Launching this year’s national celebration at the Jubilee Park in Tamale last Friday, on behalf of the First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ms Otiko Afisa Djaba, called on midwives to raise the standard of the midwifery practice in the country to the highest level to help reduce maternal mortality and infant morbidity.
She noted that although the government, families and the general public all had roles to play in ensuring the reduction of maternal mortality from preventable causes, the greatest responsibility of saving the lives of mothers and their children during delivery rested with midwives.
She, therefore, asked midwives to remember at all times that their profession was God-given and they had the responsibility to fully carry out that duty to ensure that mother and child would go home together safe and sound.
Awards
The day was used to honour some midwives who were adjudged the Regional Best Midwives for 2016 from the various regions and three teaching hospitals across the country and were presented with citations and midwifery kits to motivate them to continue to give their best.
Ms Jane Anyiusaah was adjudged the Best Midwife for the Northern Region, Mavis Tetteh, Volta Region; Josephine Owusu, Eastern Region; Comfort Abire, Greater Accra Region; Mary Azika, Upper East Region; Mrs Mary Aggrey, Western Region and Anna Bosomtwi, Brong Ahafo Region.
Those who were honoured from the teaching hospitals are Ms Paulina Acheampong , Central Region, Ms Kukuwaa Bonney, Ashanti Region and Ms Millicent Fofo Anyen, Greater Accra Region.
Speaking on the theme for the celebration, Ms Djaba said for the partnership to work, it required the commitment of all, state actors, private organisations, medical practitioners “and our communities to ensure the health and safety of our mothers, sisters, wives and children. We all have a role to play to ensure the reduction of maternal mortality and infant morbidity.”
Maternal and newborn deaths
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Ghana, Ms Erika Goldson, said more than 300,000 women died each year during pregnancy and childbirth worldwide; while in Ghana 309 out of every 100,000 live births faced a similar circumstance.
She also stated that approximately three million babies did not survive the first month of life and another two-and-a half million babies were stillborn globally. “Here in Ghana, approximately 29 babies out of a 1,000 do not survive the first month of life,” she said.
She added that the lives of most of these babies could have been saved by the care of well-trained midwives within the framework of strong health systems.
Ms Goldson stated that preventing maternal and newborn deaths and disabilities and empowering women to make informed health choices and exercise their rights was key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
“To make this happen, we need to expand midwifery programmes, maintain the highest global standards, and promote an enabling environment for midwives to effectively serve the needs of women and their families”, she said.
She, therefore, urged governments and development partners to join the UNFPA in supporting midwives so that more women would survive and their families and communities thrive, saying “we must all pledge to leave no one behind. We must all pledge to ensure that “No Ghanaian woman should die while giving life”.
Incentives
The President of the Ghana Registered Midwives Association (GRMA), Mrs Joyce Jetuah, appealed for the provision of incentives such as housing and educational opportunities for midwives to upgrade themselves to attract young midwives to the rural areas to ensure skilled delivery in those areas.
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The Northern Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Jacob Mahama, who represented the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, commended midwives for their untiring efforts to ensure that “our divine duty to procreate is done in a healthy environment.”