The premier, Dr Orlando Smith, joined midwives and their supporters last Thursday, at the opening ceremony of IInternational Midwives Day, held at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park.
He stated that as a Physician, he has a deep love and respect for anyone involved in the medical field, but especially for midwives.
Chief Nursing Officer, Mrs. Bernett Scatliffe spoke about the role of midwives in the world, and made mentioned an informal survey she conducted to assess how much persons knew about midwives.
‘There is a shortage of midwives in the country and the world, and those who are in practice are getting older,’ Mrs. Scatliffe said. She also reinforced the importance of midwives and encouraged more locals to be involved in midwifery.
International Midwives Day will be celebrated on Saturday, 5th May, with the hope of heightening awareness to tackle global inequalities in maternal and newborn health.
Over 350,000 women die each year, with millions more suffering infection and disability, as a result of preventable maternal causes. The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) is committed to reducing inequality through greater access to essential midwifery care worldwide, particularly in developing countries where 90% of maternal deaths occur.
Source:bvinews.com
