The midwifery profession in Ethiopia is growing size and quality of service yet continues to face significant challenges, reports a new landmark publication entitled The State of Ethiopia’s Midwifery. The study, launched by the Ethiopian Midwives Association at its annual International Day of Midwives Conference held in Addis Ababa on 17 May 2013, is the first comprehensive account of the availability, distribution, education levels, challenges and opportunities of Ethiopian midwives and midwifery students.
The study showed that the number of trained midwives in Ethiopia increased from 1,275 in 2008 to 4,725 in 2012 and that there are more female (3,662) midwives than male (1,063), with more male midwives holding bachelor degrees than female midwives who tend to be trained at diploma level. The study further revealed that during the 2012 academic year there were 7,767 midwifery students. 70% of those surveyed were satisfied with the type of work they were doing, citing client relationships as being particularly rewarding.
The study was launched during the International Day of Midwives Conferencem which also witnessed presentations on the role of midwives in family planning and the importance of professional ethics in midwifery, as well as original research findings on a variety of maternal, newborn and child health topics.
About the Ethiopian Midwives Association:
It was established in 1992, works in partnership with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, UN agencies and donor organizations to reduce maternal and child mortality by improving the quality of reproductive health services at a grass roots level. It is a key participant in Ethiopia’s commitment to improve health outcomes under Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5.