Daring to Deliver – Midwives on the Front Lines in Canada and Tanzania

This event will take place in the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy (ECHA) building, room 2-150.

Ninety-nine percent of all maternal deaths happen in developing countries, and more than 1 million children every year die on the same day they are born – mostly from preventable causes. Complications are common in the late stages of pregnancy, delivery, and the first hours after birth.

Despite grim statistics, there is light on the horizon. According to a 2014 report by the United Nations Population Fund, death is preventable in four out of five cases with the timely help of a skilled professional.

Midwives are working on the front lines to provide crucial patient-centered care to women and their families during childbirth and support families during pregnancy and after delivery. But midwives often face challenges, including limited professional training opportunities and a lack of recognition of their roles within the community.

With the right education and support, midwives are key to tackling the root causes of poverty and gender inequality. That’s why Loveluck Mwasha (Aga Khan University) and Wendy Wood (Canadian Association of Midwives) are passionate about strengthening local health systems, institutions, and professional capacities – investments that will pay dividends for years to come.

Speakers:

Loveluck Mwasha is a Senior Lecturer at the Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Vice-President of the Tanzania Midwives Association. In July 2017, Loveluck received the prestigious Midwife for Life award from the International Confederation of Midwives in Toronto, Canada.

Wendy Wood is a practicing midwife in Calgary, Alberta and teaches midwifery emergency skills and neonatal resuscitation, building on her prior experience as a paramedic. Her work has taken her around the world, training other midwives in Tanzania, Costa Rica, Peru, Ethiopia, Mexico, and Nunavik.