The Ministry of Health and Population and UNFPA Egypt, in collaboration with WHO and UNICEF, organized a workshop with the aim of creating a roadmap for the National Midwifery Strategy for Egypt.
The workshop was attended by experts from various sectors, including Dr. Tarek Tawfik (Deputy Minister of Health and Population), Dr. Hossam Abdel Gaffar (Assistant Minister for Health Reforms and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Population), Frederika Meijer (UNFPA Representative in Egypt), Jeremy Hopkins (UNICEF Representative in Egypt), and Dr. Naeema Al Gasseer (WHO Representative in Egypt).
The workshop was supported by the European Union and builds on Egypt’s commitment to the Regional Midwifery and Nursing Strategic Framework 2022-2030. It follows the Regional Midwifery Forum held in May 2023, which aimed to develop multi-year country-level action plans for countries and provide a platform for exchanging best practices and common challenges among experts in the field.
According to the State of the Midwifery Workforce in the Arab Region report launched in 2022, universal coverage of midwife-delivered interventions could prevent 50,000 maternal deaths in Egypt by 2035.
The workshop covered various topics, including legislative and regulative actions for midwifery in Egypt, midwifery education and training, global and regional perspectives on midwifery, and the League of Arab States Midwifery Strategy.
Dr. Abdel Ghaffar stated that the Ministry of Health and Population is working to enhance the role of midwives through the strategy by providing appropriate working conditions and wages and opportunities to develop their skills. He added that the National Midwifery Strategy will ensure that necessary healthcare services are provided to pregnant women, moving closer to the ultimate goal of ensuring every childbirth is safe.
Meijer highlighted that strengthening midwifery would promote women’s economic empowerment by enhancing their participation in the health workforce, as well as improve and ensure women’s access to quality comprehensive reproductive health services.
Al Gasser emphasized the importance of midwives in ensuring that every woman has a positive pregnancy experience and a safe delivery. She stressed that pregnancy and childbirth care are primarily dependent on midwives, who are often the first point of contact for women and children, contributing to healthier populations.
Meanwhile, Hopkins stated that strengthening midwifery education to international standards and customizing capacity building according to the needs of the most vulnerable women is a crucial step to improving quality of care and reducing maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity in Egypt.In collaboration with WHO and UNICEF, the Ministry of Health and Population and UNFPA Egypt organized a workshop to develop a roadmap for the National Midwifery Strategy for Egypt on October 31.
