Community midwives hailed as healthcare heroes

KARACHI:

Community midwives (CMWs) are being hailed as frontline healthcare heroes, crucial for delivering essential services in rural Pakistan. Their pivotal role in improving reproductive health outcomes, particularly in family planning and postpartum family planning, has underscored the need for expanding successful initiatives like the CMWs Plus project in Sindh.

This was stated by Sindh Health Secretary Rehan Iqbal Baloch during a recent dissemination event of the ‘Strengthening Community Healthcare System through Community Midwives in Sindh’ project. Implemented by the Population Council in collaboration with the Health and Population Welfare Departments of Sindh, the initiative has bolstered CMWs’ capacity to provide comprehensive reproductive health services.

Dr Zeba Sathar, Country Director of the Population Council, listed the project’s achievements, noting its potential to serve as a blueprint for scaling up healthcare initiatives nationwide. “By expanding this successful model, we can empower rural communities, improve maternal health, reduce infant mortality rates, and enable women to achieve their full potential,” she added.