The Ghana Registered Midwives Association wants the government to invest in its members.
This according to the group, will go a long way to reduce maternal and infant mortality and also help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 on health.
The President of the association, Mrs Netta Forson-Ackon made the call at the launch of the 31st International Day of the Midwife celebration at Techiman in the Bono East Region.
The global theme for this year’s International Confederation of the Midwives celebration is under the theme: “100 years of progress” but for Ghana, its theme is “Fostering Midwifery leadership in Ghana.”
Mrs Netta Forson-Ackon pleaded for investment in midwives, looking at the critical role they play.
“If all midwives are given a fair share of education, updates, and pieces of training, all midwives will offer the same range of care.”
Mrs Forson-Ackon also asked for support for midwives to enable them contribute their quota to improving the health sector.
“We need you to invest in midwives. We need you to help us to help the nation, to help the health sector to achieve the SDG3 of good health and wellbeing throughout this year. We are celebrating 100 years of progress: fostering midwifery leadership in Ghana and beyond.”
The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, whose speech was read on his behalf by Dr. Barnabas Yaw Yeboah, Head of Nursing and Midwifery at the Ministry of Health, noted that government will continue to invest in the training of midwives in the country.
Midwives were admonished to enrol in the Professional and Mentorship Programme for all nurses and midwives, which was introduced in March 2022.
“I urge all nurses and midwives to enrol unto the programme in order to preserve the future of the profession.”
The Minister also commended all the 16 individuals and five institutions that received various awards at the programme.
Mr. Niyi Ojuolape, the Country Representative of the UNFPA noted that well-trained midwives could help avert roughly two-thirds of all maternal and newborn deaths.
He noted that the UNFPA will continue to partner with all stakeholders to achieve zero preventable maternal deaths.
“UNFPA was excited to collaborate with the Ministry of Health to develop the nursing and midwifery mentorship guidelines, which we believe is an avenue and a vehicle that will help develop the leadership skills of our next generation of leaders. For effective acceleration towards the 2030 agenda, we need managers who lead and leaders who manage.”
