Giving birth and being born is dangerous in Papua New Guinea.
According to the National Department of Health Ministerial Taskforce on Maternal Health in Papua New Guinea the staggering rate of maternal mortality in PNG is a national emergency.
Every day, at least five women die of preventable childbirth related causes. Sixty per cent of childbearing women do not have access to skilled birth attendants and because there are only 270 registered midwives in the whole country, outside of the understaffed and under resourced regional hospitals, maternity and newborn care falls on the shoulders of community health workers and nurses.
In September 2000, Papua New Guinea committed to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women and signed the United Nations Millenium Declaration, along with the other 190 UN member states. Eight Millenium Development Goals were derived from this declaaration with specific targets and indicators. The PNG National Department of Health is targetting the 4th (reduction of infant mortality) and fifth goal (reduction in maternal mortality).
Midwives are internationally recognised as the number one primary health care professional for optimal safety for mothers and babies at birth. Even though there is recogntion of the vital role of midwives in optimising maternal and infant wellbeing and thereby reducing maternal mortality and morbidity in Papua New Guinea, the capacity to produce midwives too low and the number of midwives has remained stagnant. The midwifery workforce is aging and the registered midwives, few as they are, are rapidly approaching retirement. Over the last five years, reports on the state of Midwifery Education and Maternal Health together with the National Health Plan have all focussed on increasing the midwifery workforce with the aim of having a midwife in every health centre and a skilled birth attendant for every childbearing women.
The reality is harsh. Too many women. A failing health system. Not enough midwives.
A sobering article in the Sydney Morning Herald in 2009 captured the issues and conditions succinctly on this date two years ago. Those issues and conditions are unchanged or worse.
Against this backdrop, the National Government of Papua New Guinea has partnered with the Australian Government to strengthen midwifery and capacity build the existing educational systems. Eight midwives started a month ago to work in pairs in four university programs with the educators and students to ensure the PNG National Standards and Competencies are achieved.
I'm fortunate to be one of the midwives, based at Pacific Adventist University (PAU) and working clinically with students and educators in the women and babies wing of Port Moresby Hospital.
The midwifery facilitation team, minus one and plus two!
From right to left Sue Englend (visiting Port Moresby), Lois Berry (based at Madang) Tarryn Sharp and her daughter Willoughby (PAU), Marie Treloar (based at Goroka) Alison Moores (University of PNG at Port Moresby), Glenda Gleeson (Mandang) Annie Yates (the Kiwi: University of PNG) and yours truly (PAU). Missing from the photo is Heather Gulliver, who is also at Goroka with Marie.
Today, there was another big step in the right direction of strengthening midwifery in PNG.
The PNG Midwifery Society had their inaugural meeting in the conference room of the women and babies wing of the Port Moresby Hospital.
The students are great fun and keen to learn. The educators are amazing people who are very welcoming and want their programs to meet the profession's needs and the Council's regulations. The midwives are appreciative of the students' work on clinical days as the midwifery workforce is scanty and the workload is huge. There is a lot to do to get things right in PNG.
As part of the Australian College of Midwives committment to supporting and strengthening midwifery in our closest neighbour nation, four members of the society, two from Port Moresby and two from Goroka have been sponsored by the College to attend the Biennial Australian College of Midwives Conference in Sydney. Another initiative in strengthening midwifery in PNG is the International Midwives Twinning Project. Two members of the PNG society are being sponsored by the Australian College of Midwives to go to the Hague, with two Australian College members to discuss and explore professional matters at the end of the month.
We know that when there is a strong and autonomous midwifery profession, mothers and their babies do well. The PNG Midwifery Society has the potential to play an enormous role in strengthening midwifery and creating a proud and powerful professional group for midwives, which in turn, creates a safety net for the mothers and newborns of PNG.
Judging by today's conversation and the turn out for the meeting, the Society is well and truly up for the job!
According to the National Department of Health Ministerial Taskforce on Maternal Health in Papua New Guinea the staggering rate of maternal mortality in PNG is a national emergency.
Every day, at least five women die of preventable childbirth related causes. Sixty per cent of childbearing women do not have access to skilled birth attendants and because there are only 270 registered midwives in the whole country, outside of the understaffed and under resourced regional hospitals, maternity and newborn care falls on the shoulders of community health workers and nurses.
In September 2000, Papua New Guinea committed to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women and signed the United Nations Millenium Declaration, along with the other 190 UN member states. Eight Millenium Development Goals were derived from this declaaration with specific targets and indicators. The PNG National Department of Health is targetting the 4th (reduction of infant mortality) and fifth goal (reduction in maternal mortality).
Midwives are internationally recognised as the number one primary health care professional for optimal safety for mothers and babies at birth. Even though there is recogntion of the vital role of midwives in optimising maternal and infant wellbeing and thereby reducing maternal mortality and morbidity in Papua New Guinea, the capacity to produce midwives too low and the number of midwives has remained stagnant. The midwifery workforce is aging and the registered midwives, few as they are, are rapidly approaching retirement. Over the last five years, reports on the state of Midwifery Education and Maternal Health together with the National Health Plan have all focussed on increasing the midwifery workforce with the aim of having a midwife in every health centre and a skilled birth attendant for every childbearing women.
The reality is harsh. Too many women. A failing health system. Not enough midwives.
A sobering article in the Sydney Morning Herald in 2009 captured the issues and conditions succinctly on this date two years ago. Those issues and conditions are unchanged or worse.
Against this backdrop, the National Government of Papua New Guinea has partnered with the Australian Government to strengthen midwifery and capacity build the existing educational systems. Eight midwives started a month ago to work in pairs in four university programs with the educators and students to ensure the PNG National Standards and Competencies are achieved.
I'm fortunate to be one of the midwives, based at Pacific Adventist University (PAU) and working clinically with students and educators in the women and babies wing of Port Moresby Hospital.
From right to left Sue Englend (visiting Port Moresby), Lois Berry (based at Madang) Tarryn Sharp and her daughter Willoughby (PAU), Marie Treloar (based at Goroka) Alison Moores (University of PNG at Port Moresby), Glenda Gleeson (Mandang) Annie Yates (the Kiwi: University of PNG) and yours truly (PAU). Missing from the photo is Heather Gulliver, who is also at Goroka with Marie.
Today, there was another big step in the right direction of strengthening midwifery in PNG.
The PNG Midwifery Society had their inaugural meeting in the conference room of the women and babies wing of the Port Moresby Hospital.
Fifty one midwives, nurses with midwifery education (unregistered) and student midwives crowded into the conference room to discuss professional midwifery matters.
Student midwives from PAU.
We booked a bus to bring the students and educators from PA University (about 30 minutes away from the hospital) and take them home again after the meeting. The students loved the experience. A very new experience for everybody.
The students are great fun and keen to learn. The educators are amazing people who are very welcoming and want their programs to meet the profession's needs and the Council's regulations. The midwives are appreciative of the students' work on clinical days as the midwifery workforce is scanty and the workload is huge. There is a lot to do to get things right in PNG.
Following the business of the meeting, the buzz was electric as the society member's shared food and conversation
We know that when there is a strong and autonomous midwifery profession, mothers and their babies do well. The PNG Midwifery Society has the potential to play an enormous role in strengthening midwifery and creating a proud and powerful professional group for midwives, which in turn, creates a safety net for the mothers and newborns of PNG.
Judging by today's conversation and the turn out for the meeting, the Society is well and truly up for the job!
