Every day in Lao PDR, more than two women die because of complications during pregnancy and childbirth. For every woman who dies, many more suffer from illness or disability from complications during pregnancy or childbirth, which often are preventable when mothers have access to skilled care at birth.
As part of the strategy to reduce maternal mortality in Lao PDR, the Ministry of Health (MoH) with support from UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, and other development partners – specifically the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO) and World Bank – is implementing a national Skilled Birth Attendance (SBA) plan to support the delivery of integrated package of maternal, neonatal and child health services. The plan also includes the deployment of midwives that were trained in seven health schools across the country.
Normally, the International Day of the Midwives is celebrated on the fifth of May, but in Laos, MoH has designated June as the "Month of Midwives" to ensure that all provinces can take part in the celebration. Over the entire month, the ministry has organized a number of events, with the first of which was the Health Promotion Day in Luang Namtha on 7 June.
One of the main events for the “Month of Midwives” is the awarding of certificates today to 80 midwives in Savannaketh who recently completed their training. The ceremony was attended by officials from several ministries, including Dr. Som Ock Kingsada, the Vice Minister of Health.
"Midwives can provide much more than family planning and skilled care at birth. They can be the link between the community and the health services. They can work together with local leaders to plan and implement actions to improve the quality of life in the community. They can save mothers and babies’ lives. When people make use of their services, communities provide them with support and information, and local leaders involve them in the planning and decision-making, midwives can help make healthier and more productive communities. The work of midwives is a foundation for a healthier family and community, and a prosperous nation," said Dr. Esther Muia, the Representative of UNFPA in Lao PDR.
Vice Minister Kingsada said, "In many parts of the world, and now in Lao PDR, midwifery is seen as a very important and gratifying profession. That is why we would like to encourage educated girls and women from the community to consider becoming a midwife. We would also like to ask the community and its leaders to identify and encourage girls in particular to become midwives. Every community needs to have its own professional midwife to provide knowledge on safe pregnancy, childbirth, and care of mothers and babies after birth, as well as to deliver quality services."
During the event, a 15-minute documentary about community midwifery was presented. The video, recorded in Xiengkouang and produced jointly by UNFPA's Asia Pacific Regional Office and Lao PDR Country Office, shows how skilled birth attendants help improve the health of mothers and babies in remote communities.
The training of community midwives is part of the Maternal, Neonatal, Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) programme that was jointly developed and implemented by MoH and UN. The programme combines the skills and expertise of UNFPA, UNICEF, World Food Programme (WFP) and WHO, and is made possible through a financing agreement of more than EUR 8 million signed between the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, MoH and UN.
