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UNFPA trains Mid-Wives to adopt best practices of maternal and newborn health care delivery to attain MDG's 4 and 5 by 2015

By GNA
Health UNFPA trains Mid-Wives to adopt best practices of maternal and newborn health care delivery to attain MDG's 4 and 5 by 2015
NOV 30, 2011 LISTEN

Kumasi (A/R), Nov. 29, GNA – United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has organised a capacity building workshop for Mid-Wives to improve their operations to enable the Millennium Development Goal 4 and 5 to be attained by 2015.

The three-day workshop which is a partnership with International Confederation of Mid-Wives and Ghana Health Service aims to provide a platform for leadership development of Mid-Wives in the public and private sectors.

It seeks to share best practices for improving maternal and new born health care delivery and update Mid-Wives on the maternal and newborn health care innovations.

In addition, it would strengthen the supervisory capacity of Mid-Wives and build their leadership capacity to enhance their contribution to policy development and implementation.

Participants would be taken through some topics such as Overview of maternal and Neonatal health, Revised Maternal Record Book, Maternal Death Audit, Labour and delivery and EmONC needs Assessment report update.

Others are Maternal and Newborn Health Management Information System (MIS), Maternal and Neonatal Health MIS, Newborn Care and Campaign to eliminate Obstetric Fistula.

The initiative brought together about 40 senior and junior Mid-Wives from all regions of the country.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr. Asiedu Bekoe, Representative of Ashanti Region Health Directorate, expressed worry over the gradual dwindling of public trust and confidence in Mid-Wifery services mostly at public health facilities as a result of poor attitudes exhibited by some of its members, who are described as “unfriendly and cruel”.

He said MDG's 4and 5 would be achieved if high standards of professionalisms were exhibited by all in the public maternal care delivery system.

Dr Bekoe said although majority of Mid-Wives exhibit high levels of professionalism, there were a few of them whose attitudes constantly dragged the image of the noble profession in the mud.

He said the situation was unacceptable because Mid-Wives were pivotal to maternal health and required they deliver services that met all professional standards and to the satisfaction of clients and the community as a whole.

Mrs. Fredricka Hanson, Representative of UNFPA, expressed concern that Ghana was still facing challenges in maternal health and child care with unacceptable high indices of both maternal and child mortality rates.

“We have failed as a country to improve infrastructures in Mid-Wife institutions, even though we want to achieve MDG's 4 and 5”, she said.

Mrs. Hanson commended the leadership of Mid-Wives in Ghana for exercising exemplary initiatives in addressing problems and pledged UNFPA's support to provide the necessary assistance to improve their operations.

Speaking on behalf of the Chief Nursing Officer of Mid-Wifery Office, Madam Comfort Asare, called for discipline among Mid-Wives and urged the senior ones to serve as mentor for the junior ones.

GNA

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