The Wau Health Sciences Institute. Wau South Sudan
International UNFPA midwife Margaret Wakabi from Uganda among midwifery students at the Aweil Health Sciences Institute. Aweil South Sudan
The final year students of midwifery course at the Aweil Health Sciences Institute. Aweil South Sudan
Students from Wau Health Sciences Institute Wau South Sudan
Mariana Louis 23, is a student at Wau Health Sciences Institute she is seen practicing at the institute laboratory. Wau South Sudan
Rhoda Kuet Taach, 37 years old from Aweil is a midwifery student at the Aweil Health Sciences Institute. “I choose to be a midwife to avoid maternal mortality rate, because here in South Sudan, especially in Aweil, mother and child are dying frequently. I want to be a professional midwife to avoid the death of the mother and the child. We are waiting for long time to get the professional training, now we are really happy for UNFPA to get our diplomas certificate so when we go back to our field we can help our community” Aweil South Sudan
Elizabeth Nyibol Akot, 24 years old from Aweil is a midwifery student at the Aweil Health Sciences Institute. “I want to be a midwife because I want to help my community care for the mothers and babies during and after pregnancy” Aweil South Sudan
REINING IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Bruno Feder
Photographer
based in Lisbon
Text by Sam Mednick
An integral part of the Strengthening Midwifery Services Project is the development of South Sudan’s human resources for health to fill the gap in shortage of health personnel across the country. The goal is to increase capacity and knowledge on maternal health care and, ultimately, to prevent maternal deaths. Unique to the project is the training on task shifting, which is meant to bridge the gap between the lack of specialized health workers in the country and the number of people in need of assistance. Under this initiative, Clinical Officers are trained to perform emergency surgeries such as C-section deliveries. “The idea is to develop people who already had the training and upgrade their skills to perform emergency obstetric tasks,” says Dr. Frederik Khamis, Dean of the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Juba. Dr. Khamis says that although competition is stiff, women have an advantage.
International UNFPA midwife Margaret Wakabi from Uganda among midwifery students at the Aweil Health Sciences Institute. Aweil South Sudan
The final year students of midwifery course at the Aweil Health Sciences Institute. Aweil South Sudan
Students from Wau Health Sciences Institute Wau, South Sudan.
Mariana Louis 23, is a student at Wau Health Sciences Institute she is seen practicing at the institute laboratory. Wau South Sudan.
Aside from the scholarship programme and professional training, another approach taken by the SMS Project is the mentoring of South Sudanese midwives by the more experienced international midwives deployed in SMS Project sites. The Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM) also initiated a peer-to-peer mentoring program with the South Sudan Nurses and Midwives Association (SSNAMA) and young South Sudanese midwives who are employed as UN Volunteers for the project. The mentoring takes place online and the goal is to provide remote guidance, share ideas and build capacities. The SMS Project also supports health professionals to pursue advanced education in emergency obstetrics-gynecology in universities outside of South Sudan. With these approaches, sustainable change is more likely to happen to improve women’s health and reduce maternal mortality.
Rhoda Kuet Taach, 37 years old from Aweil is a midwifery student at the Aweil Health Sciences Institute. “I choose to be a midwife to avoid maternal mortality rate, because here in South Sudan, especially in Aweil, mother and child are dying frequently. I want to be a professional midwife to avoid the death of the mother and the child. We are waiting for long time to get the professional training, now we are really happy for UNFPA to get our diplomas certificate so when we go back to our field we can help our community” Aweil South Sudan.
Aweil, South Sudan - Elizabeth Nyibol Akot, 24 years old from Aweil is a midwifery student at the Aweil Health Sciences Institute. “I want to be a midwife because I want to help my community care for the mothers and babies during and after pregnancy” Aweil South Sudan
Public Project
REINING IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
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