What I ’ve Learned from Practicing as a Midwife in Mali for 42 Years

By Ramatou Fomba Konate, Head of Clinical Training Throughout the course of her 42-year career, midwife Ramatou Fomba Konate has received awards honoring her motivation and courage as a midwife, including from IntraHealth, the Association of Midwives of Mali, the Chief Medical Officer of the Yanfolila Health District in Sikasso region, and the Ministry of Health.May 04, 2020en françaisI remember that back in 1977, a midwife was a rare commodity in Mali because very few were available in the administrativecercles(sub-regions), especially in the north of the country, and gynecologists were only found in the capital and some nearby regions.In an effort to reduce the high mortality rate, the Ministry of Health reviewed the various difficulties of geographic accessibility, equity, and reproductive health rights, and decided to systematically assign all new midwives to these hard-to-reach areas to provide maternal and child health care.As one of those assigned to a post at that time, I am proud to have served in remote and difficult areas of the country—first alone, then later accompanied by my husband—to assist my sisters and fellow mothers. On the sand dunes in the regions of Gao and Timbuktu, in the health districts of Goundam and Gourma-Rharous, I worked alone as a midwife, facing cases of obstructed labor or other complications in childbirth. I learned to gather information for myself, think carefully, analyze, and make the appropriate decisions a...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Maternal, Newborn, & Child Health International Day of the Midwife Nursing Midwifery 2020 Midwives Source Type: news