More international support for Bangladesh’s midwives

DHAKA, Oct. 24 (NsNewsWire) —  “Midwives are the heartbeat of maternal and newborn health, Honourable State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mr. Zahid Maleque said at a workshop opened today. He also said “We are looking into how midwifery in Bangladesh can be improved to make sure mothers and babies receive the professional care they require.”  Midwives can significantly contribute towards reducing maternal mortality and morbidity in Bangladesh, as is envisioned in the SDGs, participants at the inaugural session of the three-day workshop remarked.

The UNFPA Representative Ms. Argentina Matavel Piccin has a clear message for all: “5200 women dying every year due to pregnancy and child birth are not just numbers, they are our mothers, sisters and daughters. We have to get it right and strengthen midwifery in Bangladesh.”

A high-level mission from the International Confederation of Midwives has arrived in Bangladesh to support midwives in Bangladesh. With the Honourable State Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mr. Zahid Maleque, MP, presiding as Chief Guest the Directorate of Nursing Services and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) brought together the key players in the field of maternal and newborn health to discuss the Midwifery Services Framework (MSF). The MSF is a step by step tool to analyse what investments and improvements are needed to strengthen the quality of midwifery care and keep Bangladeshi women and newborns safe and healthy.

The Honourable State Minister and MP Mr. Zahid Maleque in his address reaffirmed the Government’s political commitment to provide the health services needed. He also emphasized the need for more midwives: “To cater to all deliveries we will need more than 20,000 midwives in Bangladesh for the 3 million births that take place. We also need to further increase efforts to ensure women come to facilities to deliver, we are not yet up to mark.

Ms. Argentina Matavel Piccin, UNFPA Representative, in her statement made it very clear that without national support, especially from senior civil servants midwifery could not succeed in Bangladesh.

Dr. Abul Kalam Azad, Director General, Directorate of Health Services added that Government desired to deploy Midwives up to Union levels to increase the quality of maternal health service delivery”.

In terms of maternal health, global evidence shows that midwives deliver the most effective sexual reproductive, maternal and newborn health interventions, and are able to avert over 80% of maternal deaths in countries like Bangladesh. There is a growing consensus that midwifery care, provided by midwives, is the most effective solution to improve maternal health and subsequently newborn health.

A number of important steps have already been taken to establish midwifery-led maternal and newborn care in Bangladesh, but significant challenges remain. The overall maternal mortality is 170 per 100,000 live births. This represents a 56 percent decline since 2001. Currently, 5,200 maternal deaths occur annually in the country making up eight percent of total deaths among women of reproductive age. 83,100 babies are stillborn and there are 76000 neonatal deaths every year. Skilled birth attendance at delivery is 42%; Institutional delivery is 38%. In addition to the challenges surrounding maternal mortality inadequate service provision for women who survive severe obstetric complications remains a big weakness in safe motherhood programs in Bangladesh. The education, retention and professional development of the midwives also requires more attention.

For further information please contact Malin Bogren, Midwifery Specialist, UNFPA Bangladesh at bogren@unfpa.org.