STRENGTHENING MIDWIFERY SERVICES IN SOUTH SUDAN PHASE 2 (SMSII)

SMSII  (2016-21) aimed to increase the availability of skilled health care providers, especially midwives, in order to reduce maternal and infant mortality in South Sudan. SMSII is a collaboration between CAM and the South Sudan Nurses and Midwives Association (SSNAMA) to improve health outcomes and gender equality across the country through midwifery education and association strengthening.

SMSII was a UNFPA-led project supported by the South Sudan Ministry of Health and funded by the governments of Canada and Sweden.

Highlights

• 25 medical instructors were trained on how to teach physician & surgical students on Emergency Surgical Skills for General Surgery and Obstetrics. (2020-21)
• 28 physician & surgical students trained on Emergency Surgical Skills for General Surgery and Obstetrics. (2020-21)
• 15 Communications trainings were given with over to over 15 members of SSNAMA, NAMCOSS and Ministry of Health
• Operations Research was conducted in 12 health facilities in South Sudan with the goal of offering recommendations on improving the internal structural
• National Mentorship Guidelines developed
• SMSII Tutor manual distributed to approximately 100 educators and tutors. 265 students have graduated and 169 are currently enrolled in Diploma in Midwifery.
• 21 students are enrolled in Diploma in Health Personnel Education
• Creation of Family Planning Tool Kit for midwives providing family planning information sessions in clinics, homes and in public spaces in South Sudan. The tool kit also consists of a discreet take-home booklet. Over 100 manuals were distributed and over 1000 take home booklets.
• Intro to Communication handbooks and website training manuals developed

The SMSII project ended in 2021. Here are just a few examples of how CAM, together with the South Sudan Nurses and Midwives Association (SSNAMA) and other stakeholders contributed to strengthening midwifery in South Sudan:

• Successful implementation of a Peer-to-Peer Mentorship Program which provides the opportunity for peer exchanges between Canadian and South Sudanese midwives. Over 1000 exchanges on topics such as Hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, hypertension, retained placenta, shoulder dystocia, breech deliveries, sexual violence, menstruation difficulties, preeclampsia, and obstructed labour have been recorded.
• Continuing Professional Development Portal was created for midwives and nurses and features information and trainings related to prenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care. For more information: https://namcoss.org/cpd-portal/
• In the Classroom – courses on subjects such as Teaching and Learning Principles, Curriculum Development, Teaching and Learning Resources, Research Proposal, and Data Analysis were developed, and research was conducted on important health and social issues in South Sudan.

“…the fundamentals of midwifery are the same—empowering women, supporting reproductive justice, facilitating safe birth and newborn care, and advocating for gender equity. It is the local challenges that are different and one of the biggest ones is access to resources, including human resources. It is too often assumed that health care workers who practice in high resource countries have greater skills than those in lower resource areas. The Peer-to-Peer program has highlighted that this is not the case. The South Sudanese midwives are dealing with cases daily that I may see only once or twice in my career in Canada.”

– Shannon Kaupp (RM & coordinator of the Peer-to-Peer program)

VOICE, CHOICE, CHANGE

The 2019 documentary Voice, Choice, Change: The Lives of Midwives showcased the lives and roles of two South Sudanese and two Canadian midwives.

• As of September 2021, it has seen by approximately 5,000 people in person and has over 100,000 views online. 1800 likes — 50 comments—52 shares

LABOUR PAINS

Labour Pains Animated Film

The 8minute animated film Labour Pains, based on the true story of a young midwife using her training and ingenuity to save the life of a mother from a post-partum hemorrhage, has been screened in nine international film festivals (including Canada, USA, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia). The film is being used as an advocacy tool to promote the importance and value of midwives in the health care system.

• Labour Pains animated film has had 18,000 views online to date.

MIDWIVES ALWAYS HAVE SONGS

A series of public engagement pieces created to promote the collaboration between midwives in Canada and South Sudan as part of the SMSII project.  They include a magazine, a series of short videos, social media posts and a web-documentary.

• The pieces have been shared on social media and have been viewed more than 225,000 times.

For information: www.midwifesongs.org

YOUTH ADVOCACY IN SOUTH SUDAN

In 2020-21 CAM, under the guidance of the South Sudan Ministry of Health and UNFPA, with the support of the WHO, UNICEF and other NGOs, and in partnership with The South Sudan Nurses and Midwives Association and Shabab La Shabab youth network, CAM created Zone 72. Zone72 is a national strategy addressing the challenges facing youth, in particular high levels of unwanted pregnancy, gender-based violence, ending child marriage and social sustainability in South Sudan. The campaign advocated for more youth involvement in decision making, youth-led advocacy and equal access to health and education for girls.

• 2500 followers on Zone 72 Facebook
• Over 1000+ questions and comments on FB, email and WhatsApp
• 16,000 youth IEC materials disseminated (3 SRHR magazines, 2 comic books, SRHR pocket books, 10 short radio dramas)
• 30,000+ estimated listener

SMSII ASSOCIATION STRENGTHENING

1,368 qualified nurses and midwives joined the association between 2016–2020. 9 continued professional development workshops organized by South Sudan Nurses and Midwives Association (SSNAMA) staff for its members, covering topics such as clinical communication skills, adolescent sexual and reproductive health, and rights, COVID-19 infection prevention and control, and respectful maternity care.

VOCATIONS SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FOR A SUSTAINABLE SOUTH SUDAN NURSES AND MIDWIVES ASSOCIATION

In partnership with the Vocational Skills Development Organization of South Sudan, South Sudan Nurses and Midwives (SSNAMA) established 7 income-generating activities for SSNAMA across the country, including pharmacies and restaurants. Submission of 5 funding proposals by SSNAMA to increase their programming reach and financial stability. Canadian midwives raised over $5000 CAD in 2020 to support the start-ups.

SMART RMC

Through the provision of gender-responsive, quality health care by a well-trained midwifery workforce, the SMART-RMC project aims to contribute to the reduction of maternal deaths in both the DRC and South Sudan.

Key project activities will be grounded in Respectful Maternity Care (RMC), and will focus on improving clinical services through:

1. training health care providers in evidence-based innovations using a gender-responsive rights-based approach
2. increasing women’s and communities’ awareness of their SRHR to access health services
3. strengthening the capacity of midwifery associations to deliver gender-responsive programming and SRHR advocacy.

This CAM led 3-year project, supported by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, is implemented by CAM in close collaboration with its project partners, the Société Congolaise de la pratique Sage-Femme (SCOSAF: the midwifery association of DRC) and the South Sudan Nurses and Midwives Association (SSNAMA).