Midwifery Education in Bangladesh Increased Women’s Access to Safe Childbirth

In association with the British High Commission in Bangladesh, the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) arranged a dissemination seminar on Wednesday 1 June 2022, at the auditorium of DGNM in Dhaka to share findings of two studies on midwifery in Bangladesh.

Those two independent pieces of research focused on the lessons learned while supporting midwifery in Bangladesh and pathways to women’s empowerment via midwifery education.

The discoveries indicate that the UK Government’s assistance helped the Government of Bangladesh increase the deployment and use the diploma holder midwives, which substantially improved women’s access to safe childbirth over the last three years.

Midwifery in Bangladesh

In 2021, the midwives deployed in 403 Upazila Health Complexes (UzHCs) carried out 87 percent of the overall deliveries at those UzHCs. In 2018, the percentage was just 24.

The studies also found that the midwifery education in Bangladesh is effective, helps develop social and counseling skills, and boosts interpersonal communications of midwives while attending to any service recipients.

Compared to the traditional birth attendants, the trained midwives can provide even more institutional support to utilize technology-based tools for child delivery, making midwifery in Bangladesh more reliable to service recipients.

The curriculum on midwifery education helps midwives greatly make crucial decisions when a circumstance is critical. Over the last ten years, the community’s attitude and acceptance of midwives have changed extremely. Nowadays, rural residents look for services from licensed midwives for delivery and mother care; they aim for assistance and advice from licensed midwives.

Mr. Md. Saiful Hassan Badal, the Honorable Secretary of the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, graced the occasion as Chief Guest.

HE Mr. Robert Chatterton Dickson, the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dr. Vibhavendra Raghuyamshi, the Chief of Health, UNFPA, Bangladesh, and Dr. Daniel Novac, First Secretary, Embassy of Sweden in Bangladesh, participated the seminar with more than a hundred representatives from different ministries, development partners, implementing agencies, midwifery institutions, and student midwives.

Ms. Siddika Akter, the Director-General of the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), chaired the workshop.

Md. Saiful Hassan Badal, the Honorable Secretary of the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), claimed:

The national midwifery program has substantially contributed to the reduction of maternal and newborn deaths and cesarean section rates in Bangladesh.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has started the development of a cadre of international standard professional midwives. It was possible as a result of the strong commitment and support of our honorable Prime Minister.

The government has actually opened the door to higher education for midwives. I think that the midwives will play a considerable role in allowing us to achieve the SDGs by 2030.”

Collaboration with the UK

In his remarks, British High Commissioner HE Robert Chatterton Dickson claimed:

The UK has been a close development partner to Bangladesh since independence. Our collaboration to reinforce midwifery in Bangladesh contributes to the five-decade-long Brit Bangla Bondhon for development.

Today, approximately 3,000 midwives operate in the public health system and have assisted in delivering over 300,000 babies over the last five years.

Virtually 500 midwives serve in the Rohingya camps and others in the private sector, allowing safer childbirth for women and their babies throughout Bangladesh.”

In his speech, the British High Commissioner highlighted the importance of empowering young women through midwifery education, which assists women in recognizing their potential and contributing to a healthy society.

He restated the UK Government’s prioritization of women and girls is part of the new International Development Strategy.

“I thank the Government of Bangladesh and wish that the Government will consider those recommendations the UK supported studies have actually proposed to reinforce midwifery in Bangladesh better,” he included.

“Midwives play a critical role in saving the lives of both mothers and newborns. Bangladesh’s National Midwifery Programme has successfully enabled thousands of mothers to give birth normally. Considering the need for their services across the country, more than 20,000 midwives need to be deployed to different health facilities including district and medical college hospitals in the near future. To continue these promising developments, the Government has created 5000 new midwifery posts“, said Ms Siddika Akter.

For ten years, UNFPA Bangladesh has been a fully committed implementing partner of the UK that is playing a significant function ahead of time the midwifery in Bangladesh. Dr. Vibhavendra Raghuyamshi, the Chief of Health, UNFPA, stated, “It has been an immense enjoyment for UNFPA to participate in carrying out these studies, the findings of which are highly valuable.

Professional midwives not only play a crucial role in avoiding maternal and newborn fatalities but also give family planning and gender-based violence response services to vulnerable women and girls.

We eagerly anticipate continuing our partnership with the Government of Bangladesh, along with our generous donors, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Canada, to guarantee the life-saving services of midwives will become as widely available in Bangladesh as possible.”

Read the original article on News Medical.

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