In The Gambia, the Central River Region (CRR) continues to contend with one of the highest maternal mortality rates. Twenty maternal deaths were reported from Quarter 1 to Quarter 3 in 2025 out of an estimated 7,497 registered live births in the region. To strengthen maternal and newborn health services, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH), organized a pilot competency-based training for midwives.
Seventeen midwives from various facilities across CRR participated in the five-day training. The curriculum focused on the new WHO Labour Care Guidelines and included a three-day practical session in labor and postnatal wards. Participants learned how to provide respectful and compassionate maternity care, prevent infections during childbirth, resuscitate newborns who do not breathe at birth, manage postpartum hemorrhage, identify and treat severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, and repair vaginal and cervical tears sustained during delivery.
Reflecting on the impact of the impact of the training, Maimuna Bojang and Sira Bah, two of the participating midwives, shared:
The training is very important for the people of CRR. It has improved our knowledge on how to prevent maternal deaths in the region. Maternal deaths here are mainly caused by eclampsia, so with the training we have received, we are now better equipped to manage maternal health and respond effectively to such cases. We will also provide feedback to our colleagues back in our health facilities. This will help to improve the quality of care for pregnant women and ensure safe deliveries.
According to Professor Blami Dao renowned OBYGN Consultant and trainer,
maternal health can be improved provided decisive measures are taken including capacity building of health personnel, provision of equipment and supplies and regular supportive supervision. The MoH can help increase the number of midwives in CRR by posting 15-20 new midwives every year for the next five years
For the 17 midwives that have benefited from this training, they will be returning to their place of work, with up-to-date knowledge and expertise that will help reduce preventable maternal deaths and improve quality of care.
UNFPA in The Gambia in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health will expand similar training to other regions in the country and will ensure improvement in quality of care and maternal deaths reduction through capacity building interventions, data collection and monitoring.
Media contact: Malick Saine, Communications Associate (saine@unfpa.org)
