KMU Hosts Seminar and Awareness Walk to mark International Midwives Day

To mark the International Day of Midwives, a seminar was organized at Khyber Medical University (KMU) Peshawar in collaboration with the Directorate General Health Services Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The seminar was held under the theme, “One Million More Midwives,” with the objective of highlighting the critical role of midwives in promoting maternal and newborn health.

The chief guests at the event were Dr. Naeem Awan, Additional Director General Health Services, and Dr. Muhammad Saleem, Director General Provincial Health Services Academy. Among others who attended the seminar were Dr. Shahid Tanoli, Professor Dr. Dildar Khan, Dean Nursing Sciences KMU, Dr. Najma Naz, Director KMU Institute of Nursing Sciences, Mah Jabeen, Athar Iqbal, along with healthcare professionals, faculty members, students, and representatives from the health sector.

Addressing the participants, the speakers stated that thousands of women in Pakistan face complications during pregnancy and childbirth every year. They noted that the situation becomes more challenging in remote areas where access to healthcare facilities and skilled medical professionals remains limited. In such circumstances, trained midwives play a vital role in saving the lives of mothers and newborns.

The speakers emphasized that there is an urgent need for more trained midwives across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the rest of the country to help reduce maternal and infant mortality rates. According to the participants, at least one hundred thousand additional trained midwives should be integrated into the healthcare system to ensure the provision of essential maternal healthcare services to every woman.

The speakers also stressed the importance of providing midwives with better employment opportunities, professional protection, and adequate incentives to encourage more women to join this important profession.

At the conclusion of the seminar, an awareness walk was organized to pay tribute to the valuable services of midwives. The walk was attended by organizers, students, and members of the healthcare community.