New Delhi, Sep 3, 2024: Key issues in healthcare workforce capacity building and professional midwifery took centerstage at the "Transforming Birthing" conference in New Delhi, hosted by Aastrika Foundation as part of its five-year anniversary celebration, bringing together healthcare professionals, policymakers, and advocates to advance the conversation on improving maternity care in India.
Aastrika Foundation is a non-profit organisation committed to ensure access to high-quality, timely, and respectful maternity care to all childbearing women in India.
A keynote address by Dr Pawan Kumar, Additional Commissioner, Incharge (Maternal Health & Immunization), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, reinforced the necessity of a robust maternal healthcare infrastructure as well as a cadre of professional midwives to address India’s maternal health challenges.
The conference also saw a talk by Dr Deepika Khakha, Nursing Advisor, Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Dr Deepika emphasised the need for continuous professional development and honing leadership skills among healthcare professionals.
The event featured a dynamic panel discussion on "Capacity Building Innovations in Healthcare," where experts shared innovative strategies to elevate the competencies of healthcare workers nationwide. The speakers were from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Laerdal, and World Health Organisation (WHO). The conference also featured an in-depth discussion on professional midwifery, with partners presenting the implementation of the GOI’s Nurse Practitioner in Midwifery program in different states and discussing the challenges and way forward. The partners included Vanivilas Hospital, Fernandez Foundation, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, and Centre for Catalyzing Change.
Dr Janhavi Nilekani, Founder and Chairperson of Aastrika Foundation, applauded the efforts made so far, in her powerful closing remarks. She emphasised the role of advocacy, consistent and sincere implementation, and leadership to take programmes forward.
Aastrika Foundation supports the Government of India's Nurse Practitioner in Midwifery (NPM) program, in the state of Karnataka, in collaboration with the Government of Karnataka and UNICEF. The programme has led to the establishment of a National Midwifery Training Institute (NMTI) at Vanivilas Hospital, Bengaluru, and State Midwifery Training Institutes at Cheluvamba Hospital, Mysuru and Vanivilas Hospital, Bengaluru. These institutes are instrumental in training midwifery educators and midwives, respectively. To date, trainee educators and practitioners at these institutes have supported more than 600 births, adhering to evidence-based midwifery principles, including Respectful Maternity Care. The episiotomy rate was only 16%, and 93% of births had the presence of a birth companion.
Aastrika Foundation’s capacity building initiative – Aastrika Sphere – provides training programmes for various cadres of healthcare workers, using evidence-based andragogical approaches. Aastrika Sphere’s digital platform has more than 1,00,000 learners, 200 courses, and 11,000 learning hours spent on the platform. Aastrika Sphere’s in-person programmes have trained more than 1500 healthcare and ancillary services’ workers.
Dr Janhavi Nilekani, Founder and Chairperson, Aastrika Foundation, expressed the foundation's vision; she said, "At Aastrika Foundation, we believe that every woman deserves respectful, timely, and high-quality maternity care, and every child deserves a healthy start to life in a supportive environment. The success of this conference is a testament to the collective effort taking place in India today, to transform maternal healthcare by empowering healthcare professionals."
Aastrika Foundation has set an ambitious goal to reach 25 million women annually by 2030 through capacity building of the healthcare workforce. The NGO aims to transform childbirth experiences in India by empowering mothers, accelerating capacity-building efforts, and advocating for respectful birthing practices. Their goal is to bring about meaningful change throughout the healthcare system to ensure that every woman receives the healthcare, dignity, and respect she deserves during childbirth.
