Parliamentarians celebrate International Day of Midwife on Parliament Hill

OTTAWA, May 3, 2018 – In celebration of the International Day of the Midwife, Cuso International, the Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM) and MP for Ottawa-Vanier, Mona Fortier, are hosting a Parliamentary reception on May 3rd to highlight the Midwives Save Lives partnership.

The goal of the Midwives Save Lives program is to reduce mortality and morbidity in women and their newborns and ensure safe childbirth by strengthening the availability, access to and quality of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services delivered through midwives in Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Tanzania.

“Having had all three of my children with the support of a midwife, I understand the value that they bring to a mother,” says Ottawa-Vanier MP, Mona Fortier. “I’m proud to host this reception to help my fellow Parliamentarians understand the importance of this program and to share my pride in the fact that it is funded by the Government of Canada.”

The Midwives Save Lives initiative is funded  by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, and is a partnership between Cuso International, CAM and local partners: midwifery associations from Benin, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania. The four-year project (2016-2020) will send more than 50 volunteers to these four countries to develop and deliver training and mentoring, to provide equipment to midwifery instructors, and to help partner organizations build their capacity to advocate for midwives in country.

“Cuso International and the Canadian Association of Midwives are showing tangible results in maternal and neonatal health,” says Cuso International CEO Glenn Mifflin. “By the end of program, we will have trained over 1,200 midwives and nearly 150 midwife trainers. The results are, and will continue to be, felt by thousands of mothers and their babies across communities and through generations.”

“Over 340,000 women die each year in pregnancy and birth. Midwives who are trained and well-supported can prevent the majority of these maternal deaths,” says Katrina Kilroy, President of the Canadian Association of Midwives. “This not only saves the life of the individual mother, but also contributes to the health of her family and her entire community. This project focuses on ensuring that midwives have access to the resources they need in order to provide quality, life-saving care.”

-30-

For more information about the reception or the Midwives Save Lives initiative please contact:

Trevor Eggleton
Manager, Outreach and Partnerships
Cuso International
trevor.eggleton@cusointernational.org
(613) 829-7445 x 242

or

Eby Heller
Director, Policy and Communications
Canadian Association of Midwives
eheller@canadianmidwives.org
(514) 807-3668