The challenge of access to maternal health care for women in the Central African Republic

The lack of health workers in the country is a major issue. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a threshold density of 23 doctors, nurses and midwives per 10,000 people. In the CAR, the ratio is well below this threshold, standing at 7.3 per 10,000. In some areas, it falls as low as 1.3. The lack of midwives and gynaecologists is particularly acute, especially in rural areas.

To make up for the shortage of qualified professionals, the ICRC has launched a training programme in the prefecture of Nana Gribizi. The programme aims to train local women, often traditional midwives, to recognize the warning signs and the dangers to people’s health and to refer people to health centres. “The project has three important roles,” says Viola Nizigiyimana, an ICRC midwife. “First, we train traditional midwives in early referral. Then, we teach them to identify risks and complications. Finally, if a woman is about to give birth and is far from a health centre, they need to be able to deliver the baby.” The programme will partly compensate for the lack of qualified health workers in rural areas, while also functioning as a bridge between traditional practices and the official health-care system.