Strengthening the role of community midwives

USAID- funded project strives to improve services in underserved areas of Sindh

Thousands of women and newborns in Pakistan die each year due to preventable complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these deaths can be prevented if there were enough properly trained, competent and supported midwives working in the communities and in a functional health system.

Jhpiego, an organisation striving to save lives, especially in rural areas of Sindh, said this in a statement issued on Friday in honour of International Midwives Day. Jhpiego has been working in Pakistan since 1997, when it provided technical assistance under a series of maternal and reproductive health projects funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

According to the statement, International Midwives Day is celebrated every year to commemorate and spread awareness about the contribution of midwives. Midwives are contributing towards the reduction of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, especially in rural areas of Pakistan, by providing skilled care to women during the entire maternity cycle, it added.



Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program (MCHIP), funded by USAID, celebrated the event with the passion to support the Sindh government and its Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (MNCH) programme in order to strengthen the role of community midwives. MCHIP is working closely with the Sindh health department to develop sustainable action plans to improve the quality of clinical care services through enhancing the clinical knowledge and skills of the community midwife. The project is contributing to the ultimate goal of reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths.

The USAID-funded project is striving to improve the provisioning of skilled birth attendance and better MNCH services in underserved areas of Sindh.

MCHIP’s program officer, Syfoor Bibi, says, “For me, International Midwives’ Day has so much importance because I believe that skilled and well supported midwives are the front line soldiers in protecting mothers from avoidable deaths due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth.”

According to a community midwife belonging to Tando Allahyar, Amina Marjat, the work is challenging. “My clinic was not well before but since I received the business skills training from MCHIP, I learned how I can fulfil the essential needs to get success in setting up my clinic as a profitable business,” she said. “Thankfully, there is an organisation that is helping community midwives to serve professionally and run their clinics successfully.”