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The Ministry of Health has pledged to hire more midwives to meet the patient-midwife ratio. According to the National Midwives Association of Uganda, 75 per cent of deaths in facilities are caused by midwives who lack relevant skills.

Currently, Uganda's midwife-patient ratio is 2:7, forcing almost all midwives to work longer hours than the average.

Speaking at the International Midwife's Day in Gulu at Kaunda Stadium on May 6, 2024, Dr John Baptist Waniaye, commissioner for emergency medical services in the Ministry of Health, who represented the health state minister Hanifa Kawooya, stated that the government has approved all necessary documentation to recruit more midwives in the coming fiscal year.

Dr. John Baptist Waniaye, Commissioner for Emergency Medical Services at Uganda's Ministry of Health. (Photo by Godiver Asege)

“We had an approval of the new staffing norms which provide additional midwives throughout the country from national to lower level. The only remaining thing which we should all advocate for is salary enhancement and this is done by the Parliament, so we need to push our political leaders,” Waniaye addressed.

Waniaye also stated that the government has increased the budget for national medical stores, which will address the shortage of medical supplies such as gloves, which midwives have been requesting to improve work efficiency.

He urged midwives to join the campaign to save Uganda's climate, which is on the verge of disaster in many areas.

According to Annet Kanyunyuzi, president of Uganda's National Midwives Association, the climate has a significant impact on women. This is due to the fact that many people are unable to visit health centres during both seasons, namely the rainy/flood season and the dry/hot season.

“As midwives, we should ensure that we take into consideration the effects of climate change and mitigate them early,” Kanyunyuzi advised.

Annet Kanyunyuzi, President of Uganda's National Midwives Association. (Photo by Godiver Asege)

She added that her association is working with midwives all over the country to plant trees.

She also urged the government to expedite the midwife staffing process, citing that available staff are overburdened, affecting service quality.

Kanyunyuzi stated that the government should not only focus on recruitment but also on salary enhancement.

Juliana Lunguzi, programme coordinator- sexual reproductive health at the United Nations Fund for Population (UNFPA), who represented UNFPA country director Gift Malunga, recognised midwives' critical role in promoting maternal and newborn health and urged them to stay committed while providing better services to save mothers and newborns' lives. Lunguzi also stated that UNFPA wants to ensure zero gender-based violence.

“To us at UNFPA, we have three core mandates. We want to make sure that we have zero maternal deaths when women are pregnant. We have an unmet need for family planning. And we also want to ensure that we have zero gender-based violence.

And you can see that in all these three transformative results for us to achieve our goals at the centre of providing the services is the midwife. That's why in our work at UNFPA, we value the work of midwives,” Lunguzi explains.

She praised Uganda's government and the Swedish Embassy for their tireless efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality.

Dr Richard Mugahi, the acting Commissioner for Reproductive and Infant Health, spoke on behalf of the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, Diana Atwiine, to congratulate midwives on their day and recognise their critical role in improving maternal and newborn health.

Adam Kahsai-Rudebeck, Deputy Ambassador of the Swedish Embassy in Uganda, described midwives as true heroes of maternal health care who work tirelessly to provide compassionate and competent care to mothers and babies.

Adam Kahsai-Rudebeck, Deputy Ambassador of the Swedish Embassy in Uganda. (Photo by Godiver Asege)

He stated that investing in midwifery is about more than just saving lives; it is also about helping people plan for their futures.

“Midwives champion healthy families, offering crucial support and guidance that enable women and couples to determine the timing and frequency of childbirth according to their preferences,” He said.

Uganda has an estimated coverage of 17 midwives per 10,000 people. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that at least 71 nurses and midwives per 10,000 people are required to meet at least 80% of universal health coverage targets.