Message from the MIDSON’s President

In 2010, we group of 11 nurses working in nine different organizations including academic institutions, clinical and development sectors who are passionate about maternity care, women’s health and development, and gender equality came together to establish professional association of midwives though we did not had professional midwives by then. In 2009, we, group of four nurses working at GIZ (Ms. Laxmi Tamang), Jhpiego (Ms. Geeta Sharma) and Nick Simon Institute (Ms. Rita Pokhrel and Ms. Sardha Shah) after attending the Asia-Pacific Midwives Conference 2009 hosted by Society of Midwives India (SOMI) and Academy for Nursing Studies India from 19^th-22^nd November in Hyderabad aspired and inspired to do something significant to contribute in improving maternal and newborn health as we had a high maternal death of 281 per 100,000 live births by then in 2006.

In the last 12 years we have some significant progress to share in midwifery in Nepal. As of now we have 28 professional midwives registered in our regulatory body and 132 more have been currently studying Bachelor of Midwifery education programme in four different academic institutions of Nepal. The first batch of midwifery education intake started in 2016 followed by 2017, 2019 and 2021 in National Academy of Medical Sciences, Karnlai Academy of Medical Sciences, and B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences. However, we have long way to go for the development and deployment of midwifery workforce in the national public health delivery system and strengthening midwifery in the country in order to make each and every childbirth safer and respectful.

To attain our vision, mission and goal we work closely with the government of Nepal and national and international development partners including academia.

Since midwifery is a unique profession and midwives are defenders of women’s health rights I consider them like a commando of the military force to fight back against mistreatment of women’s during childbirth.

I would like to urge professional and people who think and believe that childbearing women deserve high quality dignified maternity care they should support in strengthening budding midwifery profession in Nepal to embed in our national health care delivery system.

Midwives are public health heroes, ensuring that a woman can have a healthy pregnancy, safe childbirth and essential care for her newborn – is among the most basic human rights. We have seen the evidence and understand the need for investment and protection on midwifery. Now is the time for action.

 

Laxmi Tamang, PhD

President

Midwifery Society of Nepal