TRAINING: Midwife Training Program Begins in Afghanistan

The Afghan Ministry of Health held an inauguration ceremony to mark the start of a tri-provincial midwife program in Charikar, here, Jan. 6.

Sixty female students from Parwan, Panjshayr and Kapisa provinces will attend 26 months of instruction before receiving midwife certificates, allowing them to begin work in their local clinics.

The ceremony was attended by the students and instructors as well as members of the Afghan Ministry of Health including Dr. Abdunl Qadir who is in charge of the midwife program, Parwan Provincial Governor Abdul Baseer Salangi, Dr. Mohammad Sabegh Saberi of the Ministry of Higher Education of Parwan Province and Shah Yazdan Parast of the Parwan province Department of Women Affairs.

Representatives from coalition forces included Dr. Hyun Joo Song, gender and education specialist, Korea International Cooperation Agency, 2nd Lt. David Miller and Capt. Felix Gregorian, members of the Civil-Military Support Team, 415th Civil Affairs Battalion.

"I would like to thank the Korean and U.S. PRTs for their assistance with this program," Salangi said. "This is a great program for our nation, our sisters and the future of our babies and their health."

The program will consist of instruction in normal child birth, neonatal care, pediatric care and recognition of emergency situations during child birth, along with training and classes on other skills which will enhance the students' resumes, in turn, increasing their job opportunities.

"Mothers, sisters, women and ladies, learn and be proud to serve Afghanistan and work from the bottom of your heart, diligently with love and a deep sense of responsibility," said Dr. Raessa Sabir, a provincial council member specializing in women's rights.

This is the fourth midwife program in Afghanistan and is part of an attempt by the government and coalition forces to decrease the maternal and infant mortality rates and improve the quality of life for the Afghan people.

"This is a very big and proud moment in the lives of our women and moms," Qadir said. "Out of 100,000 moms giving birth, 16,000 die because of complications. Afghanistan is second largest in the world with this problem. The training and knowledge you receive from this program will help women and children to survive birth at a higher rate."