Dear Readers:
It gives me great pleasure to write this message on behalf of the Ethiopian Midwives Association (EMwA). Established in 1992, EMwA has been a member of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) since 1993. It is the only professional association representing Ethiopian midwives in the country and has more than 5,000 members throughout the nation. EMwA has 11 chapters located in all regions and city administrations of the country. EMwA has developed a strategic plan for the period of 2016–2020 that sets the stage for the association. The four strategic directions guiding the strategic plan’s execution are: 1) capacity building; 2) partnership and networking; 3) advocacy and representation; and 4) research and publication. The association’s primary goal is to contribute to the reduction of maternal, neonatal and child morbidity and mortality, and improve the quality of reproductive health care at the grassroots level in Ethiopia.
In close partnership with the USAID-funded and Jhpiego-led Strengthening Human Resources for Health (HRH) Project, EMwA, among others, has been working to increase the enrollment of midwifery students and the number of faculty, and most important of all improve the quality of care at clinical training sites by strengthening the skills labs and standardizing student assessment tools.
During the past several years, many advances and changes have taken place at the association and in the midwifery profession. We have been able to strengthen the capacity of midwifery teaching institutions and increase the number of graduating students in midwifery by promoting the profession. Without these efforts, the current status of the midwifery profession would have been difficult to reach. To learn more about our work with the HRH project, please read the learning program brief here.
I am happy to announce that we will continue our commitment to strengthen the midwifery profession to ensure the delivery of quality services.
We are grateful for our partners, donors, members and everyone working to reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality in the country to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Your confidence in us allows us to continue to strive toward better futures for families in Ethiopia.
Sincerely,
Yeshitila Tesfaye
Executive Director, Ethiopian Midwives Association