Pakistan Takes Significant Steps to Address High Maternal Mortality Rate

In Pakistan, where 154 women die for every 100,000 live births, the fight against maternal mortality is escalating. This disturbing trend may be ascribed mostly to socioeconomic inequality, inadequate access to healthcare in rural areas, and limited decision-making capacity, particularly among young women.

Recognising the critical role that midwives may play in lowering maternal and newborn death rates, Pakistan is taking steps to improve their education, training, regulation, and working conditions. In 2006, the government established community midwives to provide critical maternity care in rural regions. However, with just 0.72 midwives per 10,000 people, increasing competent birth attendance remains a difficult task.

In a landmark milestone, the Government of Pakistan's Health Services Academy is scheduled to begin a four-year diploma programme in midwifery in partnership with partners such as UNFPA, WHO, the Midwifery Association of Pakistan, and the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council. This programme incorporates reproductive health and self-care initiatives into the midwifery curriculum, which is a game changer.

Under the banner of "Midwives' Voices, Midwives' Demands," midwives are fighting for improved education, career paths, and stricter restrictions. A Bachelor of Science (BSc) Midwifery programme is being developed, with the objective of adding 1,500 midwifery specialists to Pakistan's healthcare sector. The Health Services Academy has collaborated with Australia's University of Burnet to create a comprehensive faculty development plan to guarantee that these midwives are recognised by the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council.

To address healthcare worker shortages, Dr. Shahzad Ali Khan, Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy, emphasises the significance of educating midwives to worldwide standards. Despite the enormous advantages midwives provide to maternal and reproductive health, they continue to face hurdles in receiving respect within the healthcare system.

Nousheen Nazir, a midwifery graduate and prospective master-trainer for the Midwifery Faculty, recognises the difficulty: "Many of our healthcare professionals still don't accept that a midwife can work within a hospital setup." Nonetheless, the establishment and development of the BSc Midwifery programme constitute a significant step forward in Pakistan's pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goal of lowering maternal mortality and improving gender equality in healthcare.