The health of a nation begins with the health of mothers and newborns, yet each year, hundreds of thousands of women die and three million newborns do not survive the first week of life because they lack access to maternity health services and skilled midwifery care. Yet according to the National Health Strategy (2009 to 2013) Zimbabwe has a glaring shortage of midwives with a midwives vacancy of 80%.
In a message to mark the International Day of the Midwife, the United Nations Population Fund Representative, Dr. Basile Tambashe and health stakeholders called for greater investment in recruitment, training, working conditions and retention of midwives in Zimbabwe. Midwives, according to the International Confederation of midwives, can help prevent up to 90% of maternal deaths where they are authorized to practice their competencies and play a full role during pregnancy, childbirth and after birth.
In a petition to the Minister of Health, midwives called for enforcement of the user fee policy which stipulates free maternal health care for pregnant women. User fees are one of the key deterrent factors for pregnant women to seek health care services. The tragedy is that more is charged for complications preventing women who are at risk of dying from seeking care. Midwives also called for an increase in intake of midwives, recruitment of qualified midwifery tutors and remuneration that retain and entice qualified and non practicing midwives back into the system.
These demands echo the UNFPA's Executive Director, Ms. Thoraya Obaid sentiments that "Increased investment is needed to provide midwifery skills and life saving services and to make midwives a priority within health programmes policies and budgets." To facilitate recruitment of more student midwives, retention of midwifery tutors and production of competent midwives in the country, UNFPA pledged to support midwifery schools through procurement of training and teaching aids which includes training models, text books and ICT equipment.
