May 7, 2021
By: Aruna Kamara (Bo)
The President of the Sierra Leone Midwives Association, Madam Safiatu Agnes Foday has said that in order to reduce maternal mortality in the country, the government needs to recruit about three thousand midwives in the country.
She made this statement while reacting to questions from the Celebration of International Day of Midwives, May 5 on theme ‘Follow the Data.’
Madam Foday said that they are celebrating the day to look at their work and the challenges they are facing in the discharge of their duties, adding that the data indicated that the world is in need of more midwives to deliver on the maternal health services.
“All over the world we are in short supply and that we will be launching the state of Art Midwifery report that will show how many midwives are in the world, she said.’’
Madam Foday noted that if the whole world invests in midwives, it will be a cheap means to reduce the maternal mortality with 90% of the maternal health services delivered.
According to her, if the government of Sierra Leone invests in midwives, maternal mortality will reduce with ease, pointing out that they are important players in health service delivery in the country.
Madam Foday added that there are about one thousand three hundred and thirty three midwives in Sierra Leone and there is a need to have three thousand midwives in the country as the people are in dire need of midwives.
She however said that the government and its partners are doing well to have more midwives but the speed is low and that the need to be well trained and regulated.
Madam Foday thanked the government and its partners for engaging the Traditional Birth Attendance (TBA) to see the need to direct pregnant women to the hospitals to deliver, of which she heap praises on TBA for adhering to the advice of the government.