Midwives provide help and support to women in absolutely exceptional situations and guide them not only during, but also before and after birth. They turn women into mothers. If complications arise, midwives will do everything they can to save mother and child. However, worldwide there is a shortage of 900,000 midwives.
A safe birth is a human right, but this is not always guaranteed. Every day, more than 800 women die worldwide due to complications that occur during or before childbirth. Midwives play a key role in ensuring safe births, but they are not available everywhere.
One aid organization working on this important issue is CARE. They are committed to the rights of women and girls worldwide, including protecting mothers and their babies and supporting midwives. The donations enable valuable work to be carried out: training midwives, running mother-child centres, facilitating safe births, raising awareness about women’s rights, family planning and contraception.
Diyana Joki from Iraq is one of the CARE midwives. In 2014, she and her family, along with thousands of others, fled Sinjar in northern Iraq. There she witnesses a tragic birth in which the newborn dies and the mother barely survives. This event motivated Diyana to take up the profession of midwife.
To this day, the midwife lives in a refugee home and has to walk three hours to get to work. There is a lack of medical equipment in the hospital. “Births ideally take place on Sunday or Monday when an emergency doctor is present,” she advises.
In addition to her role as a midwife, Diyana also acts as an educator. She provides training in family planning and provides information on contraceptive methods to empower women. Despite the challenging circumstances, her goal is to keep women in Sinjar safe during childbirth, one of their most vulnerable moments.
Munguci Hope Mercy from Uganda proves that role models are important: “As a child I lived next to a health center. There was a wonderful midwife working there. I admired her and thanks to her I became a midwife.” She has been working in the refugee camp “Rhino Camp” for three years. In addition to Ugandans, there are refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and South Sudan.
Midwives are not only midwives, but also inform women about child planning. “Before I started, many women refused to use birth control. Disinformation was widespread. “Thanks to my work, the number of unplanned pregnancies has decreased significantly,” says Chiev Sreytoch. She has been working as a midwife at the Talav Health Center in the Ratanak Kiri province of Cambodia for three years. She provides obstetric care, aftercare, makes home visits by motorcycle and gives health training.
Indigenous women have little access to medicine
Other challenges: “A problem for many women is the lack of specific health care services. It is especially difficult for indigenous women to find medical care. Due to language barriers, they often don’t know where to go and are afraid of stigmatization or rejection.”
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These three examples show that midwives are not just obstetricians, but also consultants, trainers and sometimes the only medical support available to women in some of the most remote and conflict-affected areas of the world. Despite the challenges they face, including a lack of resources, difficult working conditions and often personal risks, they work tirelessly to protect and improve the lives of mothers and their children.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
