Zubair Qureshi
On the eve of May 5 (today), the International Day of the Midwife, the Civil Society Coalition for Population has called upon the federal and the provincial governments to actively engage Community Midwives (CMWs) in delivering family planning services.
The day serves as a global commemoration of the remarkable achievements of midwives and community health workers.
Such involvement represents a significant stride towards aiding impoverished rural women, who contend with high unmet needs for family planning and reproductive health accessibility hurdles.
According to a statement issued by the Civil Society Coalition for Population, the coalition emphasizes the imperative of harnessing the untapped potential of CMWs to enhance the accessibility of family planning services nationwide.
These concerted efforts hold the promise of revolutionizing family planning service delivery and bolstering the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR), imperative to achieve sustainable population growth.
Highlighting the potential of CMWs, the CSOs Coalition underscores their ability to address the unmet needs for family planning and enhance service accessibility.
By leveraging the expertise of CMWs, significant strides can be made in improving the health of women and children, especially in remote and rural areas of Pakistan.
The urgent need for action is compounded by the escalating climate crisis, with women disproportionately affected due to social, economic, and cultural factors and CMWs are the first responders in catastrophes like floods and other extreme climate events.
The Population Council’s project in Sindh has shown that collaborative efforts between CMWs and the Lady Health Workers (LHWs), trained by health and population welfare departments, and contraceptives supplied by the population welfare department, present a promising strategy to reduce the unmet need for family planning, potentially transforming Pakistan’s healthcare landscape.
The statement says the critical role of Community Midwives (CMWs) in maternal healthcare cannot be overstated. They offer vital support throughout pregnancy and childbirth besides providing essential healthcare services to infants and newborns.
Their culturally sensitive approach ensures that healthcare meets women’s needs and respects local practices.
However, the shortage of community midwives in Pakistan poses a significant challenge, exacerbated by the demanding nature of the profession.
Expanding the reach of midwifery services is imperative to prevent maternal mortality and ensure safer childbirth experiences.
The coalition urges governments to prioritize the recruitment, training and retention of midwives while expanding CMWs’ presence in underserved areas.
By investing in midwifery, governments can save countless lives and empower women to make informed decisions about their reproductive health.
About the CSOs Population Coalition:
CSOs Population Coalition was established in 2021 to jointly advocate for sustainable population growth in Pakistan.
It’s a network of 30 NGOs, think tanks and professional networks committed to gauge government’s progress on implementation of the 2018 CCI decisions to improve family planning programs in Pakistan.
