International Day of the Midwife in Ethiopia - a day for honoring midwives and strengthening partnership

Posted by khethiwe qotyana on 27 March 2018, 16:30 SAST

The International Day of the Midwife was celebrated globally on 5 May 2015 and commemorated in Ethiopia on 7 May 2015 with the theme, “Midwives for a better tomorrow.”

With the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) coming to an end in September 2015, this is indeed a special year to highlight the role of midwives in the achievement of MDG 4 and in the progress towards the achievement of MDG 5 in Ethiopia. The recognition of midwives this year is key also in light of the world’s move to the UN Sustainable Development Goals beyond 2015.

The effective engagement of midwives with other medical and public health teams is a proven way to ensure safe delivery, with higher survival rates for both mothers and newborns.

At the International Day of the Midwife event in Addis Ababa, Dr Fiona Braka, Maternal and Child Health Cluster Coordinator of WHO Ethiopia – speaking on behalf of the WHO Representative – recognized the contribution of midwives in the achievement of the MDG 4 on reduction of child mortality. Dr Braka further underscored, “Midwives will to continue to play a key role towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal on reducing maternal deaths, for which Ethiopia is making progress.”

At the same event, WHO Ethiopia donated a Toyota Land cruiser to the Ethiopian Midwives Association, the Association’s first vehicle, to facilitate its effort towards promoting quality midwifery care.

Sr Aster Teshome, President of the Association, expressed her sincere appreciation to WHO for the donation and confirmed that this will go a long way in enabling the Association to reach out to and strengthen its support as they go about their duties of securing safe deliveries and ensuring the survival of mothers and newborns across Ethiopia.

The International Day of the Midwife commemoration in Ethiopia was also officiated by the UNFPA Representative in Ethiopia, Mr Faustin Yao, and the UNICEF Representative, Ms Gillian Mellsop.

WHO Ethiopia continues to provide technical support to the Ministry of Health, Regional Health Bureaus and health professional associations like the Ethiopia Midwives Association towards securing the provision of equitable and quality health care to the Ethiopian people.

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Learn About Ethiopia

Posted by khethiwe qotyana on 27 March 2018, 16:20 SAST

Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world. Herodotus, the Greek historian of the fifth century B.C., describes ancient Ethiopia in his writings. The Old Testament of the Bible records the Queen of Sheba's visit to Jerusalem. According to legend, Menelik I, the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, founded the Ethiopian Empire. Missionaries from Egypt and Syria introduced Christianity in the fourth century. Following the rise of Islam in the seventh century, Ethiopia was gradually cut off from European Christendom.

Known as Abyssinia until the 20th century, Ethiopia was ruled by the powerful kingdom of Aksum in the first centuries. In the 15th century, a Coptic Christian empire and the system of rule by absolutist monarch were established. After the 1500s, Ethiopia divided into a number of small kingdoms, which were reunified by Menelik II in the 1880s. Emperor Haile Selassie I succeeded to Ethiopia's throne in 1931. He was deposed in 1974, and a socialist state was instituted under Mengistu Haile Mariam. A year later, the monarchy was officially abolished and Ethiopia became a republic. Mengistu was ousted in 1991 by the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), which took over rule of the country. In 1995, the government, run primarily by members of the EPRDF, proclaimed the country the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

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