PMNCH Session: MNCH human resource gap
Midwives Filling the Human Resource Gap for Better Maternal, Newborn and Child Health
The United Nations Secretary General's Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health, developed with the support of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, and is a multi constituency strategy to accelerate progress towards maternal, newborn and child health. In September 2010, the Global Strategy was acknowledged by all member states of the UN at a special session of the United Nations General Assembly. This was accompanied by over 90 commitments from all constituencies, including health care professionals, totalling US$ 40 billion in financial commitments and also policy and service delivery commitments.
As a priority, the Global Strategy highlights the need to invest in ensuring skilled and motivated health workers in the right place at the right time with the necessary infrastructure, drugs, equipment and regulations. Notably the role of midwives as the key service provider to ensure skilled birth attendance is clearly emphasized
Session objective
This session provides midwives with insight on how their associations can best capitalize on global, regional and national efforts to improve their national practicing environment by:
- Providing information on the Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health and its positioning of human resources for health and specifically midwives;
- Discussing the essential role of midwives in reducing maternal and newborn mortality and policy issues around the regulation of the provision of essential MNCH interventions; and
- Examing the role of midwifery associations in mobilizing commitments to the Global Strategy and in scaling up the training and deployment of midwives in countries.
Session outline
- Introduction: Session chair and moderator - Carole Presern, Director PMNCH
- Keynote presentation: Midwifery within the context of the UN Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health – Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, UNFPA (TBC)
- Panel discussion:
- Dr. Blerta Maliqi, Countdown to 2015: Maternal Newborn and Child Survival: Skilled birth attendance: the essential role of midwives in improving MNCH. Policy consideration for the optimal performance of midwives
- Dr George Pariyo, Global Health Workforce Alliance: Scaling up midwifery: challenges and opportunities.
- National Ministry of Health: Scaling up of midwives, challenges and opportunities (Country TBC)
- Pashtoon Azfar, ICM regional Midwife advisor: Rapid scale up of midwifery services, the Afghanistan experience, the leading role of midwifery associations
- Closing remarks: Bridget Lynch, President, ICM