UNFPA, Midwives Association commit to reduce maternal deaths in Rwanda

By Elias Hakizimana.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Rwanda has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rwanda Association of midwives (RAM) to endorse the partnership and enforce the commitment to strengthen the midwifery profession.

This partnership aims to reduce maternal deaths and to ensure quality Sexual Reproductive Health Rights Services (SRHR) in Rwanda.

Mr. Kwabena Asante-Ntiamoah, UNFPA Representative in Rwanda said that there is a need to scale up investment in midwifery education, regulation and association in order to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality.

“UNFPA has a long-standing relationship with the Rwanda Association of Midwives. Signing this MoU will ensure that our relationship will be formalized, and it will enable us to continue collaborating on lifesaving efforts to prevent maternal deaths.” Mr. Kwabena said.

The MoU is expected to deliver fruitful achievements including strengthening midwives’ skills and competences for effective management of the labor room.

Maternal deaths remain high

Mr. Kwabena commended the Government of Rwanda for the tireless efforts to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. 

“Rwanda has made great progress in reducing maternal mortality over the last decade from 487-203 deaths /100.000 Live births. However, the last five years the maternal and neonatal mortality rate has been close to stagnant from 210-203 deaths/100,000 L.B.” he said.

“Around 1-2 women still die every day in Rwanda during pregnancy, childbirth or post-partum, so we still have a long way to go together to fulfil our goal, but we are confident that with a strengthened midwifery association, Rwanda will see a major reduction in maternal and neonatal mortality.” Mr. Kwabena added.

He said that the signed MoU will lead to a stronger collaboration between UNFPA and RAM and a stronger association with strong influence, high visibility and high influence to work towards; and to meet zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning, and zero Gender based violence and harmful practices.

Josephine Murekezi, Chairperson of Rwanda Association of Midwives (RAM) said that the MoU will enhance collaboration with UNFPA to improve midwifery profession.

“We have set a strategic plan that will ensure training for the members of the association and enhance follow up through monitoring and evaluation by overseeing the interests of maternal and neonatal health. We shall provide enough capacity training to the members to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality,” Murekezi said, adding that the training will help to increase the number of midwives.

Challenges

Murekezi said that major challenges to the profession include little number of midwives and equipment, which accelerates the maternal and neonatal mortality.

Currently, there are only 2 midwives to cater for 40 pregnant women during birth delivery. The risk of death is inevitable as a woman can die waiting for a midwife for long time.

“We cannot lose any life when we get an opportunity to have many midwives, equipment and more conducive work environment, the deaths can be preventable, we need more midwives so that every women can have a midwife to assist her at her delivery, we need the government support through the Ministry of Health,” Murekezi said.

New Center of Excellency to bring solutions

A new center of excellency worth $1,223,000, approximately Rwf 1.3 billion will be constructed in Rwanda to help RAM to train more professionals (Trainers of Trainers) and will be used to boost income whereby other people will rent it for training purpose and make revenues to the association.

The State of the World’s Midwifery Report (SoMWY) 2021 indicates that fully educated and regulated midwives can deliver around 90% of essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, adolescent health interventions across the life course. In addition, they could avert 67% of maternal deaths, 64% of neonatal deaths, 65% of stillbirths.

Rwanda currently has 2006 midwives, and only 450 of them are members of RAM, but most of them sporadic. A gap remains in the number of midwives in the country, in the members of the association and in the governance of the midwifery profession.

The association works to strengthen the midwifery profession through education, support and advocacy in order to improve Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal Child and Adolescents health through the delivery of evidence based, quality midwifery services.

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