STRENGTHENING QUALITY MIDWIFERY EDUCATION FOR 2030 - WHO UNFPA UNICEF 19

3.2 Innovations and radical

thinking
Participants questioned how midwifery
education is currently provided and proposed
that the evidence presented on the “startling
lack of investment” reported in presentations,
requires us to take an innovative, radically new
look at how to educate and train midwives.
Suggestions included:

• Reorganize midwifery education based on

the needs of women and their newborns, in
the places where they most need it including
community and facility-based care. This
includes adapting education to meet specific
health needs: for instance, high levels of female
genital mutilation (FGM); communicable
diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB)
and malaria; or noncommunicable diseases
including diabetes and obesity in pregnancy.
• Train in teams and work in teams: education
and learning in interprofessional teams helps
to enable respectful care as well as respect
and good working practice between providers.
It also prevents unnecessary interventions.

(a) “Rethink” evidence-informed

midwifery education and training.

Box 19. Examples of innovation and

radical thinking in midwifery education
The Women for Health programme in Northern
Nigeria focuses on empowering young women
from rural areas to become health workers.
• In six states and 25 educational institutions,
young women from rural areas are accessing
tertiary education to become nurses and
midwives through a foundation year course.
On successful completion of the foundation
year, students can apply to the educational
institutions for further study.
• Community dialogue supports social change
needed to empower young women to access
tertiary education and work outside the home.
• Communities nominate and support young
women who have completed secondary
education.
• Gender-related barriers are addressed in
educational institutions with secure, familyfriendly
accommodation, crèches for babies
and a voice for the students.
• The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria
accredits educational institutions, increasing
the number of student places, and has
strengthened the curriculum.
• State governments are now investing in
education and employing midwives back in
their own communities.
• A programme extension in Borno State in
2018 includes the humanitarian setting
working with displaced communities and
addressing trauma among health-worker
trainees and community members.
Source: Women for Health (W4H), DAI Global Health.
AMREF (east Africa) is using technology to
bridge the gap in access to midwifery education.
• AMREF e-learning midwifery courses are
used throughout east Africa allowing staff to
stay and learn in their facility.
• A work−study programme has the same
benefits for students who can stay in their
communities; it motivates new learners and
enables lifelong learning for others.
• In Sudan, AMREF has developed familycentres
to encourage women to learn while
caring for their children.
• These flexible courses are also available for
private sector facilities.

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