UNFPA supports midwives and helps mend health system

When World Health Organization (WHO) declared Sierra Leone Ebola-free over a year ago the country had already suffered over 3,900 deaths. Ebola killed over 200 health workers in Sierra Leone, including 56 midwives.
Fear and stigma plagued the healthcare system, especially reproductive health care. This left thousands of women and girls without maternal health and family planning services.
UNFPA and the Government of Sierra Leone are working to restore access to reproductive healthcare. “Before Ebola, we had limited midwives,” said Margaret Mannah-Macarthy, a UNFPA midwifery expert, “and now we have even fewer.” UNFPA is now supporting midwifery schools in Freetown and Makeni, which are expected to graduate 80 to 90 students, every year.Midwives from these schools will be able to provide a full range of services for pregnant women, from antenatal care and safe deliveries to postnatal care. They will also be trained to provide reproductive health services to the broader community, including neonatal care, family planning counseling, and diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections.
Some midwives are also eager to do community outreach. “I want to help communities to be less fearful about coming to the hospital,” said Jeneba Sia Bundo, a 29-year old midwifery student.At the National Midwifery School, one of the UNFPA-supported institutions, training will now exceed the rigorousness of the previous curriculum.“The Ebola virus highlighted some serious gaps and deficiencies in the curriculum that we teach the midwives,” Dr. Joan Shepherd, the school’s principal, told UNFPA

Mr. Momodu Bamba Saho Is The New Appointed Director General Of The West African Monetary Agency (WAMA)

The West African Monetary Agency (WAMA) has appointed Mr. Momodu Bamba Saho, Director General of the organisation, the agency stated in a press release. Mr. Momodu Bamba Saho has served in various capacities in his home country The Gambia and internationally. He served as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of The Gambia and in 2007 became Governor of the Bank. A position he held until 2010.

From 2010 to 2012, he served as the Alternative Executive Director to the International Monetary Fund and became the Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 2012 to 2014.

Mr. Bamba Saho replaces Professor Mohamed Ben Omar Ndiaye whose second and final four year term ended in June 2016.

WAMA is an autonomous and specialized agency of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) located in Freetown. The agency was established in 1996 and one of its responsibilities is the creation of the ECOWAS single currency.

The West Africa Clearing House (WACH) was established in 1975 to serve as a multilateral payment facility to promote trade within the sub-region. This organisation was transformed to WAMA in 1996.