Maternal death is a devastating reality that affects thousands of women every year. In 2020, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) report on Maternal mortality, approximately 800 women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth worldwide. The need for quality maternal health care is paramount, but many women lack access to quality care due to barriers such as the distances they need to travel to access services and or cultural beliefs, to mention a few.

The new Maternal mortality ratio projection disseminated earlier in 2023, highlights that a 15-year-old girl in Rwanda has a 95% higher risk of dying from pregnancy or childbirth than any other possible cause of death. This happens despite the high institutional delivery rate which is 93% in Rwanda indicating that there is a need to improve the quality of care. 

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is committed to ending preventable maternal deaths worldwide in partnership with Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) and Health Development Initiative (HDI), developed and launched a mobile mentorship program known as Mobimenta in efforts to achieve this goal by increasing the skills and knowledge for in-service midwives using simulation material and hands-on-practice with a mentor. 

Supported by Laerdal Global Health, the Mobimenta initiative has facilitated the continuous capacity-building model which allows the tailoring of training packages to the specific individual needs of the targeted health facilities. The continuous support of on-the-job mentorship led to long-term improvements in the health sector and bridged gaps in emergency obstetric neonatal care (EmONC), family planning (FP) and comprehensive abortion care (CAC).

“The Mentorship program is playing a vital role in reducing maternal and infant mortality in our community by educating midwives and increasing community awareness of maternal and infant health. I hope that the program will continue to be a valuable resource for midwives and other healthcare providers working to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.” Mukandayisenga Mariane, Mentor at Kamonyi Health Center

HDI started implementing the programme back in November 2022 and has facilitated bi-weekly mentorship for 122 healthcare providers across 61 health facilities in 3 UNFPA-supported districts of Karongi, Nyamasheke and Rusizi, as a result, this will improve the quality of Maternal and Newborn healthcare. The intervention has enhanced multidisciplinary collaboration and teamwork in maternity units and strengthened the integration of the full spectrum of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights in midwifery practices. 

“As a new midwife without much experience, the mobimenta program is extremely beneficial. The mobimenta program provided me with access to experienced mentors that have equipped me with the knowledge and skills needed to provide high-quality care for pregnant mothers and newborn babies in efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality.” Claudine Mukundente, Young Midwife. 

Rwanda has made tremendous efforts in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality. Today, the maternal mortality rate is 203 to 100,000 live births from 487 in the past 10 years. However, according to the Rwanda Assessment of Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance (MPDSR) Report 2021, most preventable maternal deaths were due to skills gaps, especially among new graduates across all cadres. It is in that regard that, the need for innovative capacity-building models that will cost-effectively facilitate continuous Professional Development.

UNFPA remains committed to supporting the Government of Rwanda in ensuring that no women die while giving birth.