ICM Global Goodwill Ambassador H.E. Toyin Saraki addressed the 60th Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the American College of Nurses-Midwives.

 

Taking place from the 27th of June to the 1st of July 2015 in the Washington DC Metro Area, the 60th Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the American College of Nurses-Midwives serves as a platform for midwives and other health care experts to explore ways to enhance the quality of care provided, while expanding the reach of midwives into mainstream care. In a keynote address titled, 

 

 

‘‘The Midwife as a Game Changer ‘ – Why Midwives Must be at the Heart of the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals,” H.E. Mrs. Toyin Saraki will be emphasizing the critical importance of midwives in overcoming social determinants of maternal and child health – not just in Nigeria, but across the globe.

 

Currently, Nigeria accounts for 13% of all global deaths of children aged under-five and 14% of global maternal deaths, positioning the country as the second largest contributor to maternal and child mortality rates worldwide.

 

While the majority of maternal and child deaths occur in developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, many deaths could be easily prevented with better access to midwives who are dedicated to delivering babies safely, getting newborns through those first few crucial moments of life, and saving the lives of mothers the world over – easing them into the daunting new world of motherhood.

 

By: International Confederation of Midwives (ICM)