ICN ’s fokus för barnmorskedagen är Millennium Develop Goal 5 (Förbättra mödrahälsan), detta är ohört relevanta och närvarande för barnmorskor bland annat i Afrika.
Tillsammans med ICN är Vårdförbundet engagerat i ett projekt med 6 afrikanska Sjuksköterskeorganisationer med huvudsyftet att stärka organisationen, och mer specifikt att stötta ”young upcoming female leaders”. De flesta barnmorskor i Afrika är både sjuksköterska och barnmorska och därför är också barnmorskor involverade, även om det är ett ICN projekt. Här kommer hälsningar på barnmorskedagen från sex barnmorskor från Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Zambia och Uganda.
Är där någon som är intresserade i att höra mer kan jag etablera kontakt med Nthabiseng, Harriet, PD, Cyndy, Lucy och Jennefer.
/Lis  Munk

ICN = International Council of Nurses

Joyce Lucy Atim UNMU Uganda

I am working as a midwife in Mbale Reginal Referal Hospital.

My joy in my profession as a midwifes is caring for a mother during pregnancy, delivery, and after birth and her new born baby
The challenge in my working life is seeing a mother die during pregnancy and child birth
My wish for the future is for all mothers to have a save delivery in the hands of a midwife, for the midwives of Uganda thank you for always doing your best amidst all the challenges, for the women of Uganda the midwives loves you and wish you a save pregnancy, and happy delivery during child birth, for your self being a midwife has been my passion, and love to do all to save the lives of a mother and child. Wish you all a happy midwifery day

Cyndy Ngulube ZUNO Zambia

I am working as a midwife at Mansa General Hospital
My joy in my profession as a midwifes is seeing a mother and her baby alive
The challenge in my working life is having a maternal death
My wish for the future of Zambia is to achieve the MDG no. 5 {improving maternal health}

Nthabiseng Letumanyane LNA Lesotho

I am working as a midwife in Lesotho, Southern Africa at one of the hard to reach clinics.
My joy in my profession as a midwifes is to see people accessing health services, pregnant women attending antenatal at first trimester so that problems can be identified at early stages and be dealt with before they complicate to avoid maternal morbidity and mortality.
The challenge in my working life is pregnant women travel long distances on feet in order to access the services, we run short of essential equipment like haemacue, urine sticks to check protein and sphygmomanometer, transport to take patients in case of emergencies is a problem. Some Cultural practices also affect the work negatively.
My wish for the future is to have more skills and enough equipment so that I can provide the proper care. For the midwife of Lesotho, we need motivation, annually workshop on emergency obstetric care. For the women of Lesotho, more clinics are needed and every health facility needs a vehicle for emergencies. I want to further my studies by doing advance Midwifery or community nursing so that I can have more skills to apply to my community

Phumzile Dlamini Mhlanga – PD SNA Swaziland

I am working as a midwife in a public health clinic in a peri-urban area where the socio economic status of the people is very low, lack of supplies in facility, especially to allow us to function and provide proper and safe midwifery services.

My joy in my profession as a midwife is seeing more planned pregnancies, less maternal and child mortality, both mother and baby leaving facility alive and healthy and most of all HIV negative babies.
The challenge in my working life is having to send back clients in labour due to lack of equipment and supplies which the patients do not understand. Secondly is having to conduct deliveries under such conditions which further puts client at risk in case complications occurring.
My wish for the midwifes is being allowed to further our education especially advanced midwifery due to lack of obstetricians, provided with the equipment and supplies to carry out safe maternal and child health services. For the women to be afforded the service as required in a safe environment by happy nurses and given dignity they deserve as human beings. For me to be the best help or assert I can be to my people giving them love and care without any discrimination and opening my own maternal child unit as government has or always fails us.

Harriet Nyam’Kira Kapyepye NONM Malawi

I am a trained midwife working in the Malawi Nurses and Midwives Union
My joy in my profession as a midwifes is when a pregnant woman is attended by a skilled attendant and delivers a live healthy baby and both go home in a satisfactory health condition
The challenge in my working life is shortage of skilled birth attendants which predisposes many women especially from the rural areas to complications because they could not access a safe delivery.
My wish for the future for Malawi is that we could train more midwives that shall meet the unmet demand for skilled birth attendance especially for the vulnerable women in the poor rural populations.

AMONO Jennefer (UNMU) UGANDA

I am working as a midwife in Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, Northern Region of the country
Being a midwife is a call from God. You need to be empathetic caring, loving, committed, and sharp, more especially in times of handling emergencies in order to safe life of the babies and mothers during pregnancy, labour and puerperium.
Our main challenges are:
-Shortage of staff whereby you find only one midwife on duty who is to handle deliveries, going to theatre in case of emergencies, giving treatment, dressing wounds for the postoperative mothers, and many other activities done by a midwife. At the end of the day you are never appreciated and only blames from the communities, politicians and some Bosses. This is making most midwives to turn away from the profession because they fear to be penalised.
I would therefore like to appeal to the entire world that the life of human beings is in the hands of God much as midwives try their best in times of difficult situation. If God says yes, no man can say no.