Yemen Community Midwives Assessment

The assessment aimed to analyze the current dynamics of the community midwife workforce, midwives' pre-service and in-service training, and the actual tasks and services performed by community midwives in Yemen. The assessment identified widespread conflict and war in Yemen, which had a devastating impact on the health sector and led to high rates of mortality and morbidity, particularly among vulnerable groups such as women of reproductive age and pregnant and lactating mothers and newborns. The lack of access to lifesaving reproductive, maternal, and child health services, as well as the shortage of qualified female health cadres, including midwives, exacerbates the situation. The Ministry of Public Health and Population (MoPHP) strives to enhance the technical skills and knowledge capabilities of midwives through high-quality pre-service training and continuous professional development. The ministry aims to build an enabling educational environment for midwives, including infrastructure, qualified trainers, updated curricula, and learning materials and resources in training laboratories at health institutes. The assessment found that community midwives in Yemen face significant challenges, including limited access to training and resources, inadequate infrastructure, and a shortage of qualified trainers. Midwives in remote or rural areas often perform tasks beyond their official scope of work, including informal task-shifting, due to the lack of other healthcare workers in these areas. The assessment identified opportunities for supporting community midwives, including expanding midwives' training programs to include components beyond traditional midwifery practice, promoting service integration, and regulating licensing and accreditation. The MoPHP is committed to promoting service integration and expanding midwives' training programs to address the shortage of midwives and ensure adequate workforce distribution across urban and rural areas in Yemen. The assessment recommended short-term and medium-to-long-term actions to support community midwives, including strengthening the regulatory framework for midwives, improving access to training and resources, and enhancing the capacity of midwives to perform tasks beyond their official scope of work. The assessment also highlighted the importance of task-shifting and the need for a comprehensive approach to address the challenges faced by community midwives in Yemen. The assessment was conducted in collaboration with the MoPHP, the National Yemeni Midwives Association (NYMA), and other stakeholders, and was supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The findings and recommendations of the assessment will inform future programming and guide the design of an executive midwife support workplan in coordination with national and international health partners.