Event: Call the Midwife: A Conversation About The Rising Global Midwifery Movement

This Monday, March 23rd, the Wilson Center in Washington, DC will host an all-day symposium on the global importance of midwifery, supported by the MHTF and UNFPA. The event is open for all to attend, but you must RSVP! Please see the formal invitation from The Wilson Center below with agenda and RSVP details:

Speakers from around the world and across the maternal health community are coming together to discuss the global midwifery movement. They will highlight midwifery as a cost-effective solution towards promoting maternal and newborn health based on the latest evidence, discuss some major global midwifery initiatives underway, demonstrate innovations in the field of midwifery and discuss some interesting country experiences. The symposium hopes to further foster partnerships and synergies in midwifery and help build global commitments for scale up of midwifery.

Space is limited. RSVP required. If you are unable to attend, video of this event will be available the following week.

Monday, March 23, 2015
9:00 am – 4:30 pm

Reception to follow.

5th Floor Conference Room

Introductions

  • Roger-Mark De Souza, Director of Population, Environmental Security and Resilience, Wilson Center
  • Laura Laski, Chief, Sexual and Reproductive Health Branch, UNFPA
  • His Excellency Björn Lyrvall, Swedish Ambassador to the United States

Session 1: What does the data on midwifery say?

Moderated by Peter Johnson, Director Global Learning, Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Jhpiego

Speakers:

  • Luc Debernis, Technical Adviser, UNFPA
  • Holly Kennedy, Professor of Midwifery, Yale
  • Frances Day-Stirk, President, International Confederation of Midwives

Session 2: Why some countries are heavily investing in midwifery?

Moderated by Sandeep Bathala, Senior Program Associate, Wilson Center

Speakers:

  • Janet Michael, Director, Ministry of Health, South Sudan
  • Samuel Kingue, Director of Human Resources, Ministry of Health, Cameroon
  • Marion Subah, Jhpiego Country Representative, Liberia; Senior Nurse Midwife
  • Wendemagegn Yeshanehe, Director of the Human Resource Development Directorate, Ethiopia

Session 3: What are some important global midwifery initiatives?

Moderated by Frances Day Stirk, President, International Confederation of Midwives

Speakers:

  • Laura Laski, Chief, Sexual and Reproductive Health Branch, UNFPA
  • Christophe Lemiere, Senior Health Specialist, World Bank
  • Lisa Noguchi, Senior Technical Advisor, MCSP Maternal Health
  • Donna Vivio, Senior Newborn Health Advisor,USAID/GH/HIDN/MCH
  • Asha Varghese, Global Director of Development Health, GE
  • Rima Jolivet, Consultant, Maternal Health Task Force

Session 4: How can innovative approaches and public private partnerships help in midwifery scale up?

Moderated by Daniela Ligiero, Vice President of Girls and Women Strategy, United Nations Foundation

Speakers:

  • Geeta Lal, Senior Advisor Strategic Partnerships Human Resources for Health, UNFPA
  • Suzanne Stalls, VP Global Outreach, ACNM
  • Li Chunmei, Senior Manager, Worldwide Corporate Contributions, Johnson & Johnson
  • Jessica Koval, Program Manager, International Programs, Direct Relief

Wilson Center

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
One Woodrow Wilson Plaza
1300 Pennsylvania, Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20004

Directions

Media guests, including TV crews, should RSVP directly with Benjamin Dills. Media bringing heavy electronics MUST indicate this in their response so they may be admitted into the building.

Join the conversation on Twitter at @NewSecurityBeat and @MHTF. To find more coverage on issues covered by The Wilson Center, review their blog, NewSecurityBeat.org.