Fourth annual Afghan midwives Congress held
May 2008
The winning quilt panel depicting the story of a woman who died in childbirth.
In early May, the Afghan Midwives Association (AMA) held their fourth annual Congress in Kabul, celebrating four years of progress since the establishment of the association in 2005. More than 450 participants, including hundreds of midwives and AMA members, came together to update their professional skills and knowledge. The association also held a quilt panel competition, depicting the stories of women who lost their lives in childbirth.
In the short four years since the association was formed, it has established itself as a credible professional association. The association has gained international recognition as a member of the International Confederation of Midwives, and now boasts more than 1,000 members, a number which continues to grow as new midwives graduate and awareness of the association spreads.
With the second highest maternal mortality rate in the world—where every 27 minutes a woman dies from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth—the need for skilled birth attendants in Afghanistan is enormous. To meet this need, the AMA receives considerable technical assistance from the ACCESS Program and the
ACCESS Associate Award Health Services Support Project (HSSP). This project contributes directly to the Government of Afghanistan’s efforts to train midwives through programs for community midwifery and hospital midwifery education. By project end in 2010, HSSP aims to train more than 300 midwives.
The AMA has worked tirelessly with the Government of Afghanistan and its ministries to promote the use of midwives as the primary provider for pregnant women, and has facilitated the involvement of midwives in the policy development process. The association is now taking a role in providing continuing professional education courses for trained midwives.
About ACCESS
The ACCESS Program is the U.S. Agency for International Development’s
global program to improve maternal and newborn health. The ACCESS Program works to expand
coverage, access and use of key maternal and newborn health services across a continuum
of care from the household to the hospital—with the aim of making quality health services
accessible for women and newborns.
Jhpiego implements the program in partnership with Save the
Children, Constella Futures, the Academy for Educational Development, the American
College of Nurse-Midwives and IMA World Health.
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