Today the Western Cape Minister of Health, Dr Nomafrench Mbombo, attended the International Midwifery Day celebrations which took place at the University of Stellenbosch, Nursing Division, Tygerberg Campus.
The event commemorates the role of midwives in providing quality perinatal healthcare services to women and children, here in the Western Cape and elsewhere.
Well-trained and supported midwives working in communities are uniquely positioned to provide compassionate, respectful care to women during pregnancy and childbirth.
As the Western Cape government, we believe in the crucial importance of the First 1000 Days of a child’s development in securing a child’s bright future. This starts from conception, moving through pregnancy, birth and the first two years of life.
The care provided by midwives is integral to promoting and supporting the wellness of both mother and child within the First 1 000 Days from day zero, through the period of pregnancy up to the critical first month of a newborn’s life.
The Western Cape Department of Health operates Midwife Obstetric Units (MOUs), run by midwives themselves, in urban areas and satellite or fixed clinics in the rural communities.
In the Peninsula Maternal and Neonatal Service, midwives manage approximately 50% of births in MOUs.
These units have a proven record of providing quality healthcare to expectant mothers and their newborns. It's advisable for expectant mothers to book their first visit to the clinic before 20 weeks, or as soon as possible thereafter, so as to provide themselves and their child with the best possible care.
With the aide of trusted midwives, the maternal mortality rate in the Western Cape reached 76 per 100 000 live births, significantly lower than the national average of 158.3 per 100 000 live births.
We believe that one of the key indicators for a quality healthcare system is best exemplified by the support and care provided to women and their children, including sexual and reproductive health, and especially pregnancy, labour and postnatal care.
The services provided by the province’s 715 midwives are a key element of sexual, reproductive, maternal and newborn healthcare services.
In 2014, a report commissioned by the International Confederation of Midwives, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) found that investing in midwifery education combined with their deployment to community based services, could provide a 16-fold return on investment in terms of promoting wellness to mothers and their children, lives saved and costs of avoidable caesarean sections.
This indicates that the role of midwives in communities and the health sector cannot be underestimated.
Midwifery services help:
- Contribute to healthier families and communities;
- Help minimise preventable maternal and neonatal deaths; and
- Allow doctors and other health professionals to focus on providing other health needs.
On this International Day of the Midwife, we applaud the work done by the province’s trained and dedicated midwives in contributing to the wellness of women and their babies, sometimes under stressful and difficult conditions and in hard-to-reach communities.
Media enquiries:
Luyanda Mfeka
Tel: 021 483 5862
Cell: 076 171 5978
E-mail: luyanda.mfeka@westerncape.gov.za
