The President of the Ghana Registered Midwives Association (GRMA), Netta Ackon, has described midwives who serve in areas affected by conflict and migration challenges as heroes in their line of work.

According to her, these midwives ensured that internally displaced women and refugee mothers received quality health care.

Mrs Ackon was speaking at the launch of the 2025 international day of the midwife in Takoradi last Tuesday.

The celebration was on the theme: "Midwife, critical in every crisis".

In all, 23 individuals and organisations were honoured for their dedicated services to maternal and child care.

She said their ability to work under pressure, often with limited resources, highlighted their unwavering commitment to safe childbirth regardless of the circumstances.

She said by collaborating with international organisations and humanitarian agencies, midwives extended their impact beyond borders, ensuring that no mother was left behind.

Rural settings

She said in rural Ghana, midwives often served as first responders where access to health facilities was limited as they conducted home-based deliveries, trained community health workers, and equipped traditional birth attendants with life-saving skills.

Mrs Ackon said the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the resilience of midwives as they continued to provide antenatal and postnatal care despite lockdowns, fear, the risk of infection, and were unable to observe the COVID-19 protocols due to the nature of their work.

The GRMA president said during outbreaks such as Ebola, Cholera and Malaria, midwives assumed crucial roles in ensuring that women received safe and uninterrupted maternal and newborn care while educating communities on infection prevention.

She cited an example during the Bagre Dam spillage in northern Ghana, where midwives endured the harsh conditions and worked tirelessly to provide emergency maternal care to displaced women in temporary shelters by ensuring that pregnant women had access to skilled delivery services, safeguarding the health of both mother and child despite the challenging conditions.

Touching on challenges that midwives face, she said the effect of the ongoing Bawku conflict had necessitated a curfew during critical hours, forcing midwives to risk their lives sometimes to seek support and travel outside of the curfew hours to ensure that mothers have access to higher life-saving care.

Appeal

She called on the government, health institutions and global partners to increase investment in basic delivery training, workforce support and promote the development of midwifery specialisation, integrate midwives into national emergency preparedness committees and plans, and ensure that midwives have access to protective equipment.

An official of Lordina Mahama Foundation, Dr Selorm Quaicoe, in an address read on behalf of the First Lady, Lordina Mahama, said the foundation had supported the building of state-of-the-art health facilities for women in rural areas.

She said midwives must be supported to discharge their duties effectively and efficiently as this would go a long way to improve quality in the healthcare delivery system.

She said the foundation was ready to partner development and other health stakeholders to offer training to midwives across the country.

She congratulated the awardees who were drawn from the 16 regions and teaching hospitals in the country on their achievement and urged them to continue to serve as professionals in their duties.

The Western Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson, said the midwifery profession was not only to serve humanity but God and was grateful to the Lordina Foundation for its support to maternal and childcare in the country.