By Hamu Madzedze
The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) has described midwives as a critical link to women and newborns safety.
In a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Honourable Sleiman Timiois Kwidini during the International Day of the Midwives commemorations held at the Residence of the Swedish Ambassador in Harare the Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Douglas Mombeshora said midwives partner with and combine their efforts to influence favourable outcomes from pre-pegnancy right through post-natal.
Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Honourable S.T. Kwidini
"Midwives are also Sexual and Reproductive Health Champions in the country's healthcare system"said Dr Mombeshora.
The Ambassador of Sweden His Excellency Per Lindgarde said Midwives are the silent heroes who have taken it upon themselves to ensure that mothers and newborns are healthy.
"They deserve heartfelt respect and recognition because their dedication makes the critical difference between life and death"said His Excellency Lindgarde.
Swedish Ambassador HE Per Lindgarde
UNFPA's Country Representative Ms Miranda Tabifor added that it is important to invest in strengthening the skills of midwives to avert maternal deaths.
"Skilled midwives are the difference between life and deaths for many women and their newborns on a daily basis"said Ms Tabifor.
UNFPA Country Representative Ms Miranda Tabifor
She also pointed out that her organisation remains committed to ensuring safe motherhood by investing in midwives who can reduce 90% of maternal deaths.
Meanwhile President of the Zimbabwe Confederation of Midwives(ZICOM) Mrs Blessing Mapfumo said the International
Day of Midwives is day of celebrations and a call for action for our planet and also for midwifery.
"ZICOM greatly appreciates the partners who found it important to honour our midwives as they play a critical role in saving the lives of women and their babies" said Mrs Mapfumo.
Through programmes such as the 2Gether4SRHR funded by the Government of Sweden and the Health Resilience Fund funded by the Governments of Britain ,Ireland,the European Union ,the Government of Zimbabwe and UNFPA are supporting various interventions to ensure safe motherhood and strengthen the role of midwives.
This includes support to Midwifery pre-service training and service provision by supporting the MOHCC to capacitate the schools of midwifery with learning materials and with the implementation of the competency-based curriculum and support to the Midwifery association to put systems in place and increase membership.
Through investments from the Government of Zimbabwe and funding partners maternal mortality rate has been reduced from 525 per 100 000 live births in 2012 to 362 per 100 000 live births in 2022 and this translates to the death of 4 or 5 women each day.The role which midwives can play to reduce these preventable maternal deaths cannot be underscored.
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