Kampala, Uganda – In a significant stride towards maternal and neonatal health advancement, a comprehensive study has illuminated the complex challenges undermining the implementation of midwife-led care across several East African nations.

Titled “Maternal Health Leaders’ Perceptions of Barriers to midwife-led care in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Somalia, and Uganda,” this study unveils vital insights into the views of healthcare leaders from these regions.

Led by a collaborative team of experts hailing from esteemed institutions in Sweden, Kenya, Uganda, and Malawi, this study delves deep into the perspectives of maternal health leaders spanning Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Somalia, and Uganda.

The study was spearheaded by Johanna Blomgren, Sara Gabrielsson, Kerstin Erlandsson, Miriam C.A. Wagoro, Mariam Namutebi, Eveles Chimala, and Helena Lindgren, and its addresses barriers hindering the successful execution of midwife-led care, as voiced by frontline figures in maternal healthcare leadership.

The study engaged 25 participants, all holding leadership positions in maternal and child health within the five countries.

Through online focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews, these healthcare leaders offered profound insights into their experiences and perceptions.

Findings:

Central among the identified barriers were deeply entrenched traditional hierarchies and rigid organizational structures within healthcare systems.

These divisions between healthcare professions impeded cohesive interdisciplinary collaboration, hampering midwives’ capacity to provide effective midwife-led care.

Gender inequalities emerged as another significant concern, with midwifery often relegated to a stereotypically low-skilled domain tailored for women. This perception, rooted in cultural norms and gender-based beliefs, adversely affects the status and empowerment of midwives.

Solution:

In response to these challenges, study participants stressed the imperative of intra- and multisectoral cooperation.

They advocated for dismantling compartmentalized healthcare approaches and promoting synergy between diverse sectors and professional associations.

Initiatives aimed at raising awareness and enhancing the esteem of midwives were highlighted as pivotal, challenging ingrained gender norms, ensuring equitable access to education, and championing midwives’ roles as leaders within maternal care.

The implications of this research are far-reaching, with the potential to transform maternal and neonatal health outcomes, elevate satisfaction with care, and optimize the utilization of healthcare resources.

However, the study authors also noted that despite these potential benefits, midwife-led care has yet to be fully integrated into the healthcare systems of the examined nations.

As East African countries endeavor to overcome these challenges, the insights garnered from this study could be instrumental in driving policy changes, fostering collaboration, and ultimately paving the way for a brighter future for maternal and neonatal care across the region.

For more details and comprehensive findings, click on this link for more about this transformative study, set to reshape the landscape of maternal healthcare in East Africa.

About The Author

Arinaitwe Rugyendo

The Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ResearchFinds News and a Doctor of Philosophy in Journalism and Communication from Makerere University a credential that anchors his editorial vision in academic rigour and positions ResearchFinds News at the intersection of research and public interest journalism.

An accomplished journalist with over two decades of experience in Uganda’s media industry, Rugyendo has navigated every tier of the newsroom from cab reporter to Bureau Chief, Managing Editor, and Marketing and Digital Media Director at two of the country’s most consequential publications: the Daily Monitor and Red Pepper. At Red Pepper, he helped pioneer a participatory publishing model that transformed how Ugandan journalism related to its audience, a contribution that earned him international recognition and remains a reference point in African media scholarship.

Beyond the newsroom, Rugyendo has been recognised as a Desmond Tutu Fellow and a Crans Montana New Leader — distinctions that reflect his commitment not merely to journalism as a craft but to media as an instrument of social change. He serves as Chairman of Young Engineers Uganda, Uganda’s premier STEM and robotics education organisation, and as Chairman of the Uganda Premier League, demonstrating a leadership span that cuts across education, youth innovation, and sport.

With a PhD now in hand, a practitioner’s instinct sharpened over two decades, and a platform built on the conviction that research belongs in the public domain, Rugyendo is one of Uganda’s most distinctive voices at the intersection of scholarship, journalism, and nation-building.

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