The development of a Somali Midwifery Strategy to contribute to the midwifery profession and service development has been initiated. The process is part of the overall Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP).

A three-day workshop was held with the support of UNFPA and WHO regional and country offices in Entebbe, Uganda, at the end of October 2016 to kick-start the process.

According to UNFPA Somalia International Midwifery Specialist Emily Denness, participants included representatives from the Federal Government of Somalia, Somaliland and Puntland ministries of health, the Somaliland National Health Professionals Council and midwifery associations namely the Somaliland Nursing and Midwives Association (SLNMA), Puntland Association of Midwives (PAM) and Somali Midwifery Association (SOMA). Other participants came from midwifery training institutes including those in the public and private sector such as Mogadishu Midwifery Training Institute and the University of Hargeisa. There was also representation from selected health facilities.

“Achievements, challenges, gaps, needs and priorities in midwifery were explored for each area represented and common areas of midwifery were assessed as to development needs and responses, resulting in common strategic objectives and directions being agreed,” said Denness.

                                         Strategic Objectives and Directions from the meeting:

The midwifery role is crucial in improving the maternal and newborn health quality of care services in the Somali context to appropriately address the high burden of maternal and neonatal mortality.

As such, midwifery has been recognised as a Somali priority, aiming to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths. Each area has specific stages of midwifery development, therefore individual actions under the common strategic objectives and directions will be agreed upon in the development of the strategy. This will plan midwifery development over the HSSP time period of 2017 to 2021, aligned with the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) strategic planning.

“Through the strategy development, there is a need to ensure consensus on the adoption of integrated and multi-sectoral approaches by involving all concerned parties, across health, education, the legal systems, professional bodies and associations, and most importantly Somali midwives themselves,” said Denness. 

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For more information please contact UNFPA Somalia Communications Specialist Pilirani Semu-Banda on e-mail: semu-banda@unfpa.org