The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has tasked the Federal Government to empower its members at all levels of healthcare for effective job delivery.
Mr ImoAbasi Moses, the 3rd Vice-President of NANNM made the call at a news conference on Monday in Abuja to commemorate the 2024 International Day of the Midwife celebrated annually on May 5.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the 2024 International Day of the midwife is “Midwives: A vital climate solution”.
He urged the government to empower midwives by identifying their needs and proffering solutions to the factors which inhibit their job.
According to him, the practice of midwifery has been limited as a result of the poor working condition, shortage of work force, insufficient work equipment, poor remuneration and gross unemployment.
He decried poor incentive for rural workers, adding that it was high time the government reintroduced the rural posting allowance to midwives serving in such areas.
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Moses said that midwives were emerging heroes in the fight against environmental degradation, stressing that by providing high quality, women-centred care, adding that they have helped to reduce the carbon footprint of healthcare.
“Midwives are not only the guardian of sexual and reproductive health, but also vital climate solutionists.
“Their work has a direct impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and their community focused approach embodies the spirit of sustainable development.
“The 2021 state of the world’s midwifery report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), ICM and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the global shortage of midwives stands at 900, 000 and is particularly acute in Africa.
“Midwives are central to the prevention of maternal and newborn deaths, and stillbirths. With adequate investment in midwifery, this reports says that 4.3 million lives could be saved annually by 2035“, he said.
According to him, if the current trends persist, only 300 000 midwifery jobs are likely to be created in low-income countries.
This, he said, meant the shortage of midwives would increase to 1 million by 2030 which has serious implication for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), he said.
He implored the government at all levels to improve on the stipends given to the nurses and Midwives, and to engage them with the Expanded Midwives Service Scheme (EMSS)
Mr Abdul-Aziz Usman, 1st Vice President of NANNM, also outlined some of the challenges midwives face, especially in the area of training, limited resources and equipment.
He said these challenges hinder midwives’ ability to provide quality care in hospitals and clinics, especially in the rural areas.
According to Usman, inconsistent regulation and oversight of midwifery practices result in varying quality of care and accountability issues. (NAN)
By Aderogba George
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