Graduate Midwifery Education in Uganda Aiming to Improve Maternal and Newborn Health Outcomes

Background: Maternal and newborn health outcomes in Uganda have remained poor. The major challenge affecting the implementation of maternal and newborn interventions includes a shortage of skilled midwives. In 2013, Lira University, a Ugandan Public University, in partnership with Seed Global Health...

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Autores principales:	Edward Kumakech, Julie Anathan, Samson Udho, Anna Grace Auma, Irene Atuhaire, Allan G. Nsubuga, Bonaventure Ahaisibwe
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Ubiquity Press 2020
Materias:	Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/5e7c87f8efb945ab984fa91b2446ea91
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:5e7c87f8efb945ab984fa91b2446ea912021-12-02T13:04:07ZGraduate Midwifery Education in Uganda Aiming to Improve Maternal and Newborn Health Outcomes2214-999610.5334/aogh.2804https://doaj.org/article/5e7c87f8efb945ab984fa91b2446ea912020-05-01T00:00:00Zhttps://annalsofglobalhealth.org/articles/2804https://doaj.org/toc/2214-9996Background: Maternal and newborn health outcomes in Uganda have remained poor. The major challenge affecting the implementation of maternal and newborn interventions includes a shortage of skilled midwives. In 2013, Lira University, a Ugandan Public University, in partnership with Seed Global Health, started the first Bachelor of Science in Midwifery (BScM) in Uganda with a vision to develop a Master of Science in Midwifery (MScM) in the future. Objective: Evaluate results of Lira University’s Bachelors in Midwifery program to help inform the development of a Masters in Midwifery program, which would expand midwifery competencies in surgical obstetric and newborn care. Methods: Lira University and Ministry of Health records provided data on curriculum content, student enrollment and internships. The internship reports of the graduate midwives were reviewed to collect data on their employment and scope of practice. Interviews were also conducted with the graduates to confirm the added skills they were able to apply and their outcomes. Findings: The critical competences incorporated into the Bachelor in Midwifery curriculum included competences to care for pre- and post-operative caesarian section patients or assist in a caesarean section, newborn care (e.g. resuscitation from birth asphyxia), anesthesia, and theatre techniques, among others. Overall, 356 students (40.2% male, 59.8% female) enrolled in the BScM program over the period 2013–2018. Annual data shows an increasing trend in enrollment. Of the 32 graduates in January 2019, 87.6% were employed in maternal and newborn healthcare facilities, and 12.4% were employed in midwifery private practice. Follow-up interviews revealed that the graduate midwives reported positive maternal and newborn outcomes and the ability to practice advanced obstetrics and newborn care skills they acquired from the training. Conclusion: There is growing interest in a graduate midwifery education program in Uganda for both male and female students. The retention of the graduate midwives in healthcare facilities gives a renewed hope for mothers and newborns, who benefit from their extra obstetrics and newborn care competences in settings where there are neither medical doctors nor obstetricians and gynecologists. Recommendations: Further, larger tracer studies of the graduate midwives to identify the kinds of obstetric surgeries and newborn care services they ably performed and their corresponding maternal and newborn health outcomes is recommended. Also recommended is advocacy for recognition of extra skills of graduate midwives by health authorities in Uganda and the region.Edward KumakechJulie AnathanSamson UdhoAnna Grace AumaIrene AtuhaireAllan G. NsubugaBonaventure AhaisibweUbiquity PressarticleInfectious and parasitic diseasesRC109-216Public aspects of medicineRA1-1270ENAnnals of Global Health, Vol 86, Iss 1 (2020)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270
spellingShingle	Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 Edward Kumakech Julie Anathan Samson Udho Anna Grace Auma Irene Atuhaire Allan G. Nsubuga Bonaventure Ahaisibwe Graduate Midwifery Education in Uganda Aiming to Improve Maternal and Newborn Health Outcomes
description	Background: Maternal and newborn health outcomes in Uganda have remained poor. The major challenge affecting the implementation of maternal and newborn interventions includes a shortage of skilled midwives. In 2013, Lira University, a Ugandan Public University, in partnership with Seed Global Health, started the first Bachelor of Science in Midwifery (BScM) in Uganda with a vision to develop a Master of Science in Midwifery (MScM) in the future. Objective: Evaluate results of Lira University’s Bachelors in Midwifery program to help inform the development of a Masters in Midwifery program, which would expand midwifery competencies in surgical obstetric and newborn care. Methods: Lira University and Ministry of Health records provided data on curriculum content, student enrollment and internships. The internship reports of the graduate midwives were reviewed to collect data on their employment and scope of practice. Interviews were also conducted with the graduates to confirm the added skills they were able to apply and their outcomes. Findings: The critical competences incorporated into the Bachelor in Midwifery curriculum included competences to care for pre- and post-operative caesarian section patients or assist in a caesarean section, newborn care (e.g. resuscitation from birth asphyxia), anesthesia, and theatre techniques, among others. Overall, 356 students (40.2% male, 59.8% female) enrolled in the BScM program over the period 2013–2018. Annual data shows an increasing trend in enrollment. Of the 32 graduates in January 2019, 87.6% were employed in maternal and newborn healthcare facilities, and 12.4% were employed in midwifery private practice. Follow-up interviews revealed that the graduate midwives reported positive maternal and newborn outcomes and the ability to practice advanced obstetrics and newborn care skills they acquired from the training. Conclusion: There is growing interest in a graduate midwifery education program in Uganda for both male and female students. The retention of the graduate midwives in healthcare facilities gives a renewed hope for mothers and newborns, who benefit from their extra obstetrics and newborn care competences in settings where there are neither medical doctors nor obstetricians and gynecologists. Recommendations: Further, larger tracer studies of the graduate midwives to identify the kinds of obstetric surgeries and newborn care services they ably performed and their corresponding maternal and newborn health outcomes is recommended. Also recommended is advocacy for recognition of extra skills of graduate midwives by health authorities in Uganda and the region.
format	article
author	Edward Kumakech Julie Anathan Samson Udho Anna Grace Auma Irene Atuhaire Allan G. Nsubuga Bonaventure Ahaisibwe
author_facet	Edward Kumakech Julie Anathan Samson Udho Anna Grace Auma Irene Atuhaire Allan G. Nsubuga Bonaventure Ahaisibwe
author_sort	Edward Kumakech
title	Graduate Midwifery Education in Uganda Aiming to Improve Maternal and Newborn Health Outcomes
title_short	Graduate Midwifery Education in Uganda Aiming to Improve Maternal and Newborn Health Outcomes
title_full	Graduate Midwifery Education in Uganda Aiming to Improve Maternal and Newborn Health Outcomes
title_fullStr	Graduate Midwifery Education in Uganda Aiming to Improve Maternal and Newborn Health Outcomes
title_full_unstemmed	Graduate Midwifery Education in Uganda Aiming to Improve Maternal and Newborn Health Outcomes
title_sort	graduate midwifery education in uganda aiming to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes
publisher	Ubiquity Press
publishDate	2020
url	https://doaj.org/article/5e7c87f8efb945ab984fa91b2446ea91
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Graduate Midwifery Education in Uganda Aiming to Improve Maternal and Newborn Health Outcomes

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