{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,31]],"date-time":"2026-08-31T19:22:08Z","timestamp":1788204128713,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":12,"publisher":"AOSIS","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,16]],"date-time":"2025-04-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1744761600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>African midwives are pivotal in enhancing continuity and care coordination throughout healthcare systems. They are a critical human resource in mitigating near misses, morbidities and mortality in Maternal and Neonatal Health (MNH). Thus, achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) necessitates robust midwifery policies and system strengthening across Africa. Given the critical role of midwives, this report reflects on the need for a coordinated regional approach to unify midwifery across the continent as a strategy towards impactful SDG achievements. The reflections are based on insights from a Ghana meeting aimed at unifying African midwives. Globalisation and Africanisation are both crucial for developing a harmonised sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health system that improves the quality of life for African women and their families. Despite significant healthcare improvements, Africa faces challenges such as a shortage of skilled birth attendants, leading to high maternal and neonatal mortality rates. Achieving SDGs requires local solutions and fully integrating midwives into health systems. It also requires that midwives are purposefully and regularly engaged in global, regional and local policy discussions and decisions. To support this goal, the authors present an approach to ensure midwives in Africa are not only represented in these forums but also actively engaged in shaping, advocating for, and advancing relevant actions. We therefore recommend establishing a regional midwifery body to lead and coordinate these efforts.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4102\/phcfm.v17i1.4851","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,15]],"date-time":"2025-04-15T05:22:38Z","timestamp":1744694558000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Maximising contributions of midwives in Africa towards achieving MNH targets: Lessons learned"],"prefix":"10.4102","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8777-3628","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Doreen K.","family":"Kaura","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/05bk57929","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Stellenbosch University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1538-3986","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jemima A.","family":"Dennis-Antwi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-2211-9428","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Frances D.","family":"Ganges","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00za53h95","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Johns Hopkins University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9132-2571","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sarah N.","family":"Ngoma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2580","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mattison C, Bourret K, Hebert E, et al. Health systems factors impacting the integration of midwifery: An evidence-informed framework on strengthening midwifery associations. BMJ Global Health. 2021;6(6):e004850. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bmjgh-2020-004850","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2020-004850"},{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Anderson R, Zaman SB, Jimmy AN, Read JM, Limmer M. Strengthening quality in sexual, reproductive, maternal, and newborn health systems in low-and middle-income countries through midwives and facility mentoring: An integrative review. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2023;23(1):712. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s12884-023-06027-0","DOI":"10.1186\/s12884-023-06027-0"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nishimwe A, Conco DN, Nyssen M, Ibisomi L. Context specific realities and experiences of nurses and midwives in basic emergency obstetric and newborn care services in two district hospitals in Rwanda: A qualitative study. BMC Nurs. 2022;21(1):9. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s12912-021-00793-y","DOI":"10.1186\/s12912-021-00793-y"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lattof SR, Maliqi B, Yaqub N, et al. Engaging the private sector to deliver quality maternal and newborn health services for universal health coverage: Lessons from policy dialogues. BMJ Global Health. 2023;8(Suppl 5):e008939. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bmjgh-2022-008939","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2022-008939"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mattison CA, Lavis JN, Wilson MG, Hutton EK, Dion ML. A critical interpretive synthesis of the roles of midwives in health systems. Health Res Policy Syst. 2020;18(1):1\u201316. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s12961-020-00590-0","DOI":"10.1186\/s12961-020-00590-0"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kemp J, Maclean GD, Moyo N. Global midwifery: Principles, policy and practice. Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2021. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-3-030-46765-4","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-46765-4"},{"key":"ref6","unstructured":"World Health Organization. Global strategic directions for nursing and midwifery 2021\u20132025. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021."},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nove A, ten Hoope-Bender P, Boyce M, et al. The State of the World\u2019s Midwifery 2021 report: Findings to drive global policy and practice. Human Resource Health. 2021;19:1\u20137.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12960-021-00694-w"},{"key":"ref8","unstructured":"World Health Organization. The state of the World\u2019s Midwifery 2021. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021."},{"key":"ref9","unstructured":"International Confederation of Midwives. Policy brief: Investing in midwives\u2019 associations. The Hague: ICM; 2024."},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tallam E, Kaura D, Mash R. Midwives\u2019 self-perceived confidence in their knowledge and skills in Kenya: An observational cross-sectional study. Int J Afr Nurs Sci. 2022;16:100387. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.ijans.2021.100387","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijans.2021.100387"},{"key":"ref11","unstructured":"UNFPA. State of World Population 2021: Seeing the Unseen \u2013 The case for action in the neglected crisis of unintended pregnancy [homepage on the Internet]. 2021 [cited n.d.]. Available from: https:\/\/www.unfpa.org\/sites\/default\/files\/pub-pdf\/21-038-UNFPA-SoWMy2021-Report-ENv4302.pdf"}],"container-title":["African Journal of Primary Health Care &amp; Family Medicine"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/phcfm.org\/index.php\/phcfm\/article\/view\/4851\/8136","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,5]],"date-time":"2025-11-05T08:56:01Z","timestamp":1762332961000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/phcfm.org\/index.php\/phcfm\/article\/view\/4851"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,16]]},"references-count":12,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/phcfm.v17i1.4851","relation":{},"ISSN":["2071-2928","2071-2936"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2071-2928","type":"print"},{"value":"2071-2936","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,16]]},"article-number":"a4851"}}