By Alieu Amara Suwu
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), as the international development agency that works on population and development, sexual and reproductive health, and gender, has joined the Sierra Leone Midwives’ Association on May 4, 2024, to celebrate International Day of the Midwife at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown.
The United Nations International Day of the Midwife is celebrated each year on May 5. This is a chance for midwives to celebrate their profession and for people around the world to recognize their work and contribution to maternal and newborn health. This year’s celebration theme is midwives: a vital climate change.
The UNFPA, as the world’s largest provider of family planning services, works in the countries with the highest maternal mortality rates through its UNFPA Supplies program and has helped to prevent tens of thousands of maternal deaths by supporting midwives, providing maternal health support, medicines, and family planning resources.
In her statement, the Country Representative for UNFPA-Sierra Leone, Nadia Rasheed, opined that one of the most important reasons for the increase in mortality rates is the inaccessibility to skilled care, and UNFPA supplies are helping to address this.
Madam Rasheed said maternal health care before, after, and during pregnancy can save the lives of women and children around the world, and midwives are a huge part of that. She emphasized UNFPA’s commitment to supporting midwives and empowering women to access reproductive health services, noting the significant progress achieved in Sierra Leone through investments in midwifery training and healthcare infrastructure.
“UNFPA remains committed to working with the government, midwives, and all stakeholders to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and young people’s potential is developed.
Rasheed commended Sierra Leone’s efforts in increasing the number of skilled birth attendants and reducing maternal mortality rates, citing UNFPA’s collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other partners in training over 1,800 midwives since 2010.
However, she acknowledged the persistent shortage of midwives in the country and highlighted the impact of climate change on maternal and child health outcomes.
Matron Mary Fullah, Chief Nursing and Midwife Officer, generally talked about the importance of climate change and its effect on the world today.
Matron Fullah stated that, as midwives, they are an important part of the health care workforce in many parts of the world, saying that midwives are mothers, advocates, and housewives, whose integrity and sacrifice must always be exhibited.
She said midwives are there every step of the way—nnot just during childbirth—and they mean more healthy mothers and babies.
She cautioned that the sustainability of free healthcare is in their hands; if not sustained, mothers would die.
Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Isata Mahoi, reiterated the importance of midwives in disaster response and emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting the health sector, despite global economic challenges.
She praised UNFPA for its unwavering support and emphasized the need for continued collaboration to ensure every pregnancy is safe and every childbirth is supported.
The event concluded with the distribution of awards to midwives and the donation of baby packs to fifty pregnant women and lactating mothers.
The commemoration was climaxed with the distribution of awards to deserving midwives and packages to mothers.
Awardees expressed gratitude to UNFPA and the Midwives Association for their support.
