Project profile — Midwives Save Lives

• Tanzania (23.75%)
• Congo, Democratic Republic (21.00%)
• Benin (19.25%)
• Ethiopia (36.00%)

• Basic Health: Health personnel development (12281) (20.00%)
• Reproductive health care:
Reproductive health care (13020) (30.00%)
Personnel development for population and reproductive health (13081) (50.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (significant objective)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

The project aims to improve the reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services delivered through midwives in its four target countries of Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia and Tanzania. The project activities include: (1) training midwives and health professionals to increase their skills; (2) educating communities on the dangers of poor health care for new mothers and babies; and (3) addressing the gender barriers that keep pregnant women from accessing appropriate and timely healthcare. The project draws upon the unique Canadian model of midwifery, which supports midwives to work independently and in remote areas, and is implemented through a consortium led by CUSO International with the Canadian Association of Midwives. Local partners for the project are the national midwifery associations in each country.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved delivery of environmentally-sound and gender-responsive quality respectful health services for women of reproductive age, mothers, pregnant women and newborns in target regions; (2) improved utilization of quality gender-responsive and environmentally-sound health services by empowered women of reproductive age, mothers, pregnant women and newborns in target regions; and (3) strengthened influence and accountability of midwives, and recognition of midwifery as a cost-effective, high-quality path to improved reproductive, maternal and newborn health and rights in target countries.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (March 2020) include: (1) the percentage of newborns in targeted health facilities put to their mother’s breast within one hour of birth increased as follows: from 36.9% to 88.8% in Benin; from 51.3% to 98.6% in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), from 48.6% to 67.9% in Ethiopia, and from 30.1% to 91.2% in Tanzania; (2) the percentage of women seeking modern contraceptive methods at targeted health facilities increased in all four project countries (from 14% to 43.8% Benin; from 29.4% to 70.9% in DRC; from 34.5% to 78.6% in Ethiopia and from 40% to 67.4% in Tanzania); and (3) all targeted midwifery association representatives increased their ability to initiate and lead policy dialogues with key actors in reproductive, maternal, child and adolescent health (from 20% to 40% in DRC, from 40% to 81.8% in Ethiopia, and from 40% to 100% in Tanzania).

• Proactive disclosure