The Midwives Association of Zambia has expressed discontent in government for recruiting a small fraction of midwives in the recent recruitment process of over 11, 000 health workers.
Association President Sarah Ngoma stated that it is disappointing to note that a small fraction of midwives has been recruited compared to other cadres such as Clinical officers, registered nurses and laboratory technicians when the country has a critical shortage of skilled birth attendants.
“We are concerned that only 230 midwives have been recruited out of the 11,276 health workers that have been employed under this exercise,” she said
In a statement issued, Ms Ngoma explained that, according to the State of the World Midwifery Report, Zambia has a gap of 9,000 midwives and currently the woman to Midwife ratio is 1 to 1000 a plight which is unacceptable considering that the country is losing an average of 15 women and more than 60 newborns per week, it is for this reason that the country needs more midwives than nurses.
She added that it is unfortunate that realizing the position in which Zambia is today, the Sustainable Development Goal number 3 which is about ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all including pregnant women of all ages might not be attained by 2030.
She cited that the World Health Organization’s 2030 goal is for every country with high maternal and newborn mortality to reduce to less than 70/per 100,000 live births and at least 5/1000 live births, respectively.
“Zambia’s maternal mortality stands at 278/100,000 live births and neonatal mortality at 27/1000 live births, this is a calamity which requires urgent attention,” she said
Ms Ngoma stated that one of the major contributing factors to these preventable deaths is the shortage of skilled birth attendants, and the country is losing most of these mothers and newborns at the hands of unskilled health providers, therefore, investing in midwives is long overdue and cannot be over-emphasized.
Ms Ngoma emphasized that midwives are not nurses, and nurses are not midwives if they are not trained as a midwife, for a midwife can work alone in a facility and manage both medical/surgical and maternal health conditions which a general nurse cannot do.
“We have observed that those responsible for recruiting are not aware of the difference between a Midwife and a Nurse,” she stated
She explained that as an association championing equity of access to quality maternal health care and Universal Health Coverage, the list of new appointments has been received with regret after observing with dismay how nurses and other health cadres who lack specialization in handling maternal and child-related cases are being employed in greater numbers than midwives.
Ms Ngoma highlighted that it is saddening to note that between January and July 2022, (seven months) the country has recorded 381 maternal deaths and 845 still births yet it is a well-known fact that a lack of skilled birth attendants is a major contributor to these avoidable deaths.
On 29th and 31st July, 2022 the government through the Civil Service Commission and the Ministry of Health recruited and published the names of 11, 276 newly recruited health workers in the Zambia Daily Mail Newspaper and various credible online platforms.
Please pardon me, But i think you ought to have been proactive as the president, lobby the relevant ministry other than cry after the recruitment is done. That is what your presidency should entail, among other things off-course. unless i am missing something.
I rest my case!
I am sure they will employ more, remember we have a very focused government now. Your observation is valid and genuine
The two are different qualifications, therefore, before employing them they must know where there is need or shortage of manpower. tekwingishafye ati bantashe for what? they data.
I know Zambia does need midwives , but at present moment also needs reproductive health educators . What we need to know is that pregnancy is not an illness but aconsented act between a husband and a wife and can be planned for.There are now many people in zambia today with different ailments that need Doctors,clinical officers and Nurses attention urgently than those going to deliver babies. who ever is concerned with the turnout of mothers at Martenity should have also got concerned and asked the government why it did not recruit public health nurses and educators who should teach and educate the community on reproductive health and family planning concerns affecting the nation as there are just so many street kids in towns and cities which have mostly been due to unplanned sexual…
due to unplanned sexual life by their parents. There are so many large families in zambia today that go with no food and no clothes as the parents have little money and cannot afford to feed and dress them adequately as either there no jobs for bread winners or totally nothing to do and turn sex into a hobby and produce more children every 2 years.It’s not like in the first Republic when parents used to have 12 children and managed to nsend them to school knowing that UNIP GOVERNMENT will give them free books and will get educated and finish school and go to university or college and get employed there after. The world has really changed including Zambia and we really need to manage and feed our population well and promote good health. Things are really hard to even support one child…
sexual life by their parents. There are so many large families in zambia today that go with no food and no clothes as the parents have little money and cannot afford to feed and dress them adequately as either there no jobs for bread winners or totally nothing to do and turn sex into a hobby and produce more children every 2 years.It’s not like in the first Republic when parents used to have 12 children and managed to nsend them to school knowing that UNIP GOVERNMENT will give them free books and will get educated and finish school and go to university or college and get employed there after. The world has really changed including Zambia and we really need to manage and feed our population well and promote good health. Things are really hard to even support one child.So family…
So family planning is necessary in zambia njow. Not so many industries ,companies including the government are employing now.Whats the point of having may children and they end up on the streets harassing innocent people or stealing from them .Each household needs a reasonable family number to feed and look after well .Therefore ,family planning is really necessary for anation to move forward