The issue of midwifery training in Mauritania

INTERVIEW Maternal and child care remain limited in Mauritania. The Temeyouz Project, funded by the AFD, has helped to increase access to basic services for populations, especially through adapting midwifery training to the country’s specific health needs.

With Ahmedou Ould Armiyaou,
director of the National Higher School of Health Sciences (ENSSS) in Nouakchott.

Which role do midwives play in Mauritania?

In Mauritania, maternal mortality rates are very high: 454 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021. This is the result of limited access to quality healthcare during pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period. Rural and poorest populations are the most impacted. On top of that, there are social and traditional practices that are harmful to women’s health, such as female genital mutilation and early marriages.

In this context, midwives play a crucial role in promoting mother and child health. Through their consistent monitoring, they are able to detect pregnancy complications, provide care during delivery and the postpartum period, and counselling on family planning. Investing in midwifery training is a priority for the improvement of the population’s health.

What kind of assistance does the Temeyouz project offer?

The Temeyouz Project, which is funded by the AFD and implemented by Expertise France and the Ministry of Health, is helping the ENSSS to adapt midwifery training to the country’s health needs while meeting international standards.

This support to the ENSSS focuses on four areas: governance; human resources, to improve training through strengthening the skills of midwifery teachers; initial training, so that the teaching meets national and international requirements; and continuing education, to develop practising midwives’ skills and improve the capacities health structures.

Thanks to the help of French expertise, we’ve signed partnership agreements with several French schools, such as the midwifery schools of Amiens and Angers, to benefit from their experience. Our teachers undergo quality training, especially in active learning with a focus on simulation, whereby procedures and interventions are practised on mannequins before being applied to real patients.

 

This accredited training course allows students to move on to a master’s in health sciences and a PhD.

What does the midwifery curriculum look like at the ENSSS?

The ENSSS is the only school in Mauritania proposing a three-year vocational degree in midwifery that meets the standards of Mauritania’s higher education system, as well as those of the West African Health Organization (WAHO) and the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). This accredited training course allows students to continue their education with a master’s in health science, or a PhD.

Currently, 140 midwife students are enrolled in the core curriculum designed by the Ministry of Health, assisted by the Temeyouz Project. Once they complete the program, graduates will be able to handle a normal delivery from start to finish.

What impact does midwifery training have on maternal and child health?

Thanks to their training, midwives can provide quality care during pregnancy, delivery and the postpartum period. This makes it possible to detect and handle problems early and to lower maternal and child mortality.

The impact of training on public health can only be measured through long-term monitoring of several classes of graduates.

Interview conducted in May 2024.

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The issue of midwifery training in Mauritania

The issue of midwifery training in MauritaniaINTERVIEW Maternal and child care remain limited in Mauritania. The Temeyouz Project, funded by the AFD, has helped to increase access to basic services for populations, especially through adapting midwifery training to the...