It is hoped the workshop in Accra, the capital of Ghana, will lead to measures that will save the lives of many women and newborn babies who die of preventable complications.
More than 70 midwifery leaders are at the workshop, which has been organised by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
It is taking place as part of the partnership programme to strengthen midwifery skills in low-resource countries, which have the highest rates of maternal mortality globally.
Around 358,000 women die each year as a result of preventable complications in pregnancy and childbirth.
Ninety-nine per cent of these deaths happen in low-income countries, many of which are participating in this workshop.
Executive director of UNFPA Dr Babatunde Osotimehin commented on the importance of midwifery.
‘It saves lives and promotes good health in communities and in societies as a whole,’ he said. ‘Midwifery is an essential component of an effective health care system.’
Delegates are conducting an in-depth analysis of the state of midwifery education, association and regulation in their countries.
This analysis will be used to draft plans to improve midwifery education, association and regulation for participating countries and to increase the number of births attended by qualified and competent midwives.
Plans for regional development and collaboration are also being discussed.
ICM president Frances Day-Stirk said: ‘Evidence shows that access to competent, educated midwives and high-quality midwifery services significantly reduces the number of women and babies who die in pregnancy and childbirth.
‘As a result of ICM’s work, midwives now have global standards against which countries can assess their competencies, education and regulation of their workforce and save lives.’
Information about the ICM global standards for education, regulation and association can be found at
www.internationalmidwives.org
