Lusaka College of Nursing and Midwifery and Seed Global Health Launch Midwifery Training Partnership
The Lusaka College of Nursing and Midwifery and the Ministry of Health have partnered with Seed Global Health to strengthen midwifery education and training in the country.
Lusaka, Zambia: Today, Lusaka College of Nursing and Midwifery (LUCON) and Seed Global Health (Seed) will formally launch their partnership to enhance midwifery education at the institution and increase the number of practice-ready midwife graduates who will deliver high-quality care to women and infants in Zambia.
“Through this partnership, Lusaka College of Nursing and Midwifery hopes to improve the quality of education and training of midwifery students which will in turn translate into delivery of quality maternity services for the Zambian community, and ultimately contribute towards the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity in the country,” said Dr. Priscar Sakala-Mukonka, Head, Lusaka College of Nursing and Midwifery.
Over the past two decades, Zambia has made significant improvements in maternal health outcomes. However, maternal mortality remains high. Strengthening access to the whole continuum of maternity care will significantly reduce maternal deaths across the country. To achieve this, Zambia needs well-trained, well-resourced, and well-supported midwives.
“Strengthening midwifery education and enhancing essential competencies will improve the quality of care for women, newborns, and their families,” said Sarah Ngoma, Clinical Education Advisor, Seed Zambia.
Seed recently placed a midwife educator at LUCON to work alongside the midwifery faculty at the institution. Together, they will strengthen the breadth of midwifery education and enhance midwifery skills through clinical mentorship, training, and professional development opportunities. Additionally, they will facilitate a culture of clinical excellence, responsibility, and accountability in the delivery of care. This will ensure that women receive contextual, responsive, and respectful maternity care where and when they need it.
“Through this partnership Seed plans to support the Ministry of Health’s national goals around the training of high-quality midwives and to contribute towards reducing the maternal mortality by sharing knowledge and skills,” said Dr. Bassim Birkland, Country Director, Seed Zambia.
*A copy of this press release was originally published on the Zambia Daily Mail on March 29, 2022.
