UN Agencies Rally for Nurses in Fight Against Maternal Mortality
02 October 2024 by Limpho Sello
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As the rain drizzles onto the red soil of Nazareth, splashing back in small crimson bubbles, Mphonyane Thetso strides through the corridors of Nazareth Health Centre.
Thetso, a dedicated midwife at Nazareth Health Centre, checks on the pregnant women who are waiting to welcome their newborns into the world.
“We view our work as a divine mission,” Thetso told Uncensored News.
The dedication of Thetso and her three colleagues at the facility, led by Midwife and Nurse-in-Charge ‘Mantuta Thelingoane, is evident.
It highlights the crucial role nurses and midwives play in delivering immediate care to the diverse communities they serve.
Despite their dedication, nurses and midwives in Lesotho struggle with inadequate surveillance systems, says World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative Dr. Mary Stephen.
Dr. Stephen says these systems fall short of what is needed to ensure patient safety and improve outcomes.
“This challenge demands our immediate and collective action,” Dr. Stephen said.
She added: “As frontline caregivers, well-trained nurses and midwives are crucial to reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths.”
She however noted that many countries, Lesotho included, struggle to provide adequate training programs that are both current and fit for purpose for nurses and midwives.
Speaking at the East, Central, Southern Africa Colleges of Nursing and Midwifery (ECSACONM) 16th Biennial Scientific Conference, Dr. Stephen emphasised the need for countries to ensure that nurses and midwives receive proper training.
She noted that adequate training is crucial for meeting the needs of the communities they serve, which is essential for reducing mortality and improving health outcomes.
The conference, held in Maseru on September 11, 2024, brought together various stakeholders, including the Minister of Health, Selibe Mochoboroane.
Mochoboroane emphasised the indispensable role of nurses and midwives in ensuring the efficient functioning of health systems.
“In the face of ongoing emergencies, pandemics, and chronic health system challenges there is a need for innovation and adaptation to meet the increasing demands on health services,” Mochoboroane said.
He said nurses and midwives bring all the different parts of the health system together to deliver services for communities, families, and patients.
“To meet the growing demands on our health services, we need capable, committed, motivated, and experienced professionals.”
Budgetary shortfalls
Despite the critical role nurses and midwives play in sustaining health systems, Minister Mochoboroane acknowledged their ongoing struggles.
He said these frontline workers face challenges such as workforce shortages and shrinking health budgets.
“This shortage continued to undermine access to and provision of health services, particularly in the primary care settings, and this is the most critical challenge to attaining universal health coverage,” Mochoboroane said.
He added: “Most of our countries’ health budgets are shrinking due to unresponsive economic growth or even decline in some instances.”
Nazareth Health Centre midwife, Mphonyane Thetso, knows too well how workforce shortages can cause fatigue to dedicated healthcare professionals.
“It’s very hectic. We have a burn-out,” Thetso openly shared with Uncensored News on October 30, 2023, highlighting the intense pressure she and her colleagues face daily.
The challenges confronting Thetso and her colleagues are not unique to their facility. This issue is a common thread running through numerous health facilities across Lesotho.
Dr. Lucy Mapota, the Ministry of Health’s Director of Clinical Services, affirms this, stating, “staff shortage is a reality on the ground.”
According to Dr. Mapota, there is a glaring gap in the skilled personnel required to meet these evolving healthcare demands.
“Our ability to expand our services is limited, even as the disease burden grows. The need for specialised skills is increasing, but we face significant challenges in providing specialised care. For example, while we have many nurses, we lack professionals in critical specialised areas.”
Minister Mochoboroane said these challenges, including dwindling health budgets, calls for “innovation, evidence-based practice across the whole health ecosystem”.
East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) is an inter-governmental health organisation that fosters and promotes regional cooperation in health among member states.
Speaking at the September 2024 conference in Maseru, ECSA-HC Director General, Sibusiso Sibandze noted that nursing and midwifery are a cornerstone of healthcare.
“We consider nurses and midwives not only as practitioners or caregivers but innovators, advocates and leaders,” told the conference on September 11, 2024 in Maseru.
He said it was without a doubt that nurses and midwives’ role is pivotal in shaping the future of health and ensuring that every individual receives the highest standard of care.
“This year’s conference theme, the role of evidence-based practices and innovations in nursing and midwifery in combating off- and re-emerging pandemics, resonates deeply with a fast-changing epidemiological profile globally and in our respective countries.”
Strengthening data systems
Meanwhile, Dr Mary Stephen from WHO told conference attendees that there is need for stronger health data systems, noting that reliable, accurate data is essential for making informed, evidence-based decisions.
“Our data systems are not delivering the quality of information needed to guide effective, timely health responses,” she lamented, stressing the importance of strengthening these systems.
She further urged stakeholders to work together through south-south cooperation, as she further called for a collective action to improve health outcomes across the region.
Dr Stephen described the ECSACONM conference as a critical forum for fostering partnerships and driving change.
“This conference serves as an essential platform for bringing together governments, stakeholders, and the healthcare community to share knowledge and collaborate on solutions. We are confident that ECSACONM is uniquely positioned to lead the way in advancing the quality of nursing and midwifery in our region,” Dr Stephen said.
On his part, Sibandze said the dynamic nature of healthcare demands all healthcare stakeholders to stay ahead of emerging trends. He added that all stakeholders need to harness new technologies and remain committed to lifelong learning.
“Together, let us continue to elevate the standards of care, drive innovation and advocate for the values that make nursing and midwifery truly a transformative profession,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Stephen stressed that all stakeholders must work together to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
“Here in Lesotho, we are confronted with alarmingly high levels of maternal and newborn mortality—among the highest in the Eastern, Central and Southern African (ECSA) region.”
Dr. Stephen said through partnerships and shared knowledge, “we can create a future where the highest standards of care are available to all.”
Minister Mochoboroane reinforced the critical role of partnerships and collaboration in overcoming challenges facing the health sector.
“The solutions to these problems require collective effort. Governments, healthcare institutions, communities, and international partners must work together to innovate and strengthen our health systems,” Mochoboroane said.
At Nazareth Health Centre, midwife Mphonyane Thetso and her colleagues continue to push themselves beyond their limits to provide the best possible care.
“I know change isn’t imminent, so we must keep pushing. We strive to excel in our roles, driven by our passion for nursing rather than monetary rewards,” Thetso shared passionately.
