The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), a renowned non-governmental organization representing midwives and midwifery worldwide, has recently announced its decision to accredit three centres of excellence for midwifery education in Lao PDR. This decision was made on January 7, 2023, following an in-country visit to assess the three institutions in the second half of 2022. The three institutes that have been accredited are the Colleges of Health Sciences in Champasak, Luang Prabang, and Xiengkhouang Provinces. It is a tremendous achievement for these colleges as they have met 35 out of 37 ICM Standards, with only two standards partially met.

ICM's Midwifery Education Accreditation Programme (MEAP) is an international best practice benchmark for evaluating pre-service midwifery education programmes against ICM Global Standards. Lao PDR is the first country in ASEAN to receive such accreditation, making it a remarkable accomplishment for the country's midwifery education programmes. 

Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, the Minister of Health, congratulated all three colleges on their efforts to obtain International Accreditation. He mentioned that the “MEAP will help ensure consistency in midwifery education and identify best practices and gaps for partners and implementers to provide more focused, effective, and sustainable support for high-quality midwifery education.”

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in close partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Sports, has been supporting the Lao Midwifery Programme since 2009. As part of this support, UNFPA has also helped prepare the promising centres of excellence in midwifery education towards international standards.

Assoc Prof Dr. Phout Simmalavong, the Minister of Education and Sports, stated that “the three centres of excellence for midwifery education have made immense efforts in going through all aspects of evaluation. The valuable accreditation for standards of midwifery teaching in Lao PDR not only acts as a quality mark but also ensures graduate outcomes.”

Mariam A. Khan, UNFPA Representative in Lao PDR, said: “the midwives were so proud because the work for this task was hefty, and they remained committed to achieving this despite the past few years riddled with COVID-19 related challenges. The accreditation will be valid for three years, and they are already planning to sustain their MEAP status by beginning their preparation now! UNFPA is delighted to have supported this successful result for midwifery education in Lao PDR!”

According to the latest research, a well-trained midwife, with access to requisite equipment and connection to a health service network, can respond to over 80% of maternal health requirements. As such, midwives are essential for efforts to reduce maternal deaths.