Midwives Save Lives: Train 40 New African Midwives

Meet Heron: A midwife working during the height of the pandemic.

With the pandemic exposing the harsh reality of the severe medical staff shortages throughout the African continent, new midwives are especially critical. Amref’s eLearning digital platforms have trained hundreds of new midwives, like Heron, who are entering the field during a time of rapid changes and additional safety protocols to help in stopping the spread.

 “I decided to take on midwifery because it provided a more empowering venture. The care and passion that the job takes makes me feel attached to it. I do not regret it. It can be hard when you have a lot of work to do- for example, delivering more than five mothers a day, immunization, reports, post-natal care, and the fear of losing a mother or baby are some of the things that can affect me. However, all this is compensated when you deliver a baby safely, and you hear the first cry of the baby and the smile on the mother’s face. Those are some of the beautiful memories this job brings. To me, it is a calling.

During this COVID-19 Pandemic time, there is a lot of anxiety. For example, some of the measures put in place are not very friendly to expectant mothers. Many feel a lot of discomfort when wearing a mask; the scent from the sanitizers does affect some due to its strong smell. Social distancing is almost impossible when treating an expectant mother or a mother after delivering; you need that personal closeness to support her and the baby. Hand-washing all the time when going to breastfeed is a good practice that we have to keep reminding mothers all the time. Some find it irritating; however, we do not give up!

I am among the 192 midwives and nurses in Mengo hospital (Uganda) who have benefited from the eLearning modules developed and provided by Amref Health Africa. One module I just completed was more specific to the baby and mother. I have learned new methods of how to manage a newborn in the first 1 minute of its life, how to take care of a mother during the first few hours of delivery, and also more on how to deep clean the labor suite.

These are skills I really need in my everyday work. I can also consult my notes and the information provided in the module any time using my mobile phone. Everything I need to know about the childbirth process is now a click away on my phone.”

With your support, we are teaching the next generation of midwives through our eLearning mobile platforms and traditional in-person platforms. Midwives are often the first medical access a baby can have. Thank you for giving these babies the strongest start in life!