UNFPA, AECID and DANE carry out the closure of the initiative in these cities, which strengthened the skills of midwives, professionals and technicians from the health, protection, statistics and registration system, and provided tools to reduce referral times, under-registration and gaps in access to maternal health services.
The project recognizes the fundamental role of traditional midwifery in health care for women, pregnant women and newborns. Those who carry out this work are community leaders who, with limited resources, become the only providers of this care and support, in contexts that often lack health services. For this reason, during the development of the initiative, clean delivery kits were delivered to 180 traditional midwives and they were trained in their use; 120 blood pressure monitors, 85 neonatal scales were donated to help identify risk factors, and 110 cell phones to facilitate communications, identify potential complications, and activate timely referral pathways.
Another of the great contributions was advancing in the development of the form for the digital registration of traditional midwifery activities through mobile devices, in coordination with midwives, integrating their knowledge, skills, practices and cultural knowledge.
Currently, based on this tool, work is being done on an application for the characterization of traditional midwives and for the monitoring of their activities, so as to allow the strengthening of the production of statistical information on births for decision-making. informed decisions and the formulation of public policies to improve care processes, health outcomes and reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality.
Midwife Vital is a project led by the United Nations Population Fund – UNFPA – Colombia and the Spanish Cooperation (Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation – AECID), in partnership with the National Administrative Department of Statistics – DANE, in coordination with the Association of the Interethnic Network of Midwives and Midwives of the department of Chocó – ASOREDIPARCHOCÓ and the Association of United Midwives of the Pacific – ASOPARUPA in Buenaventura.