“Promoting maternal and child health through strengthening the role of midwifery”, is the initiative of the Kosovo Midwives Association (ShMAKS), a member organization of Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), which was implemented in order to increase awareness of the tireless work of midwives.

On September 9, Magbule Elezi, President of SHMAKS, met with the Minister of Health to discuss the importance of including the role and interests of Kosovo midwives in the Health Act.

SHMAKS has advocated for institutional support to strengthen the role of midwives in Kosovo in the past thanks to the support received from the Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF).

“Over 930 midwives in Kosovo do not enjoy a special status compared to other health professionals and their role is not defined at all levels of health services.” said Elezi.

“Strengthening the role of midwives in Kosovo and re-functionalizing maternity hospitals in Kosovo are our two ongoing requests to policy makers and the health committee in the Kosovo Parliament.” she added.

During the period of implementation of activities, SHMAKS drafted requests to address to the Ministry of Health to organize working group regarding the drafting of the profession, role, responsibilities and duties of midwife. SHMAKS also held meetings with women and girls in Kaçanik, Podujeva and Istog, with groups of 7-10 participants, in order to provide advice and information relevant to their health.

On October, SHMAKS held a roundtable on promoting maternal and child health by strengthening the role of Midwife. Participants in the roundtable were Mr. Milazim Gjocaj Official Leader, responsible for the law on Health, Ms. Suna Zajmi, Director of Health and Social Welfare in Kamenica, Mr. Fitim Uka, Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Health, Mr. Zaim Thaqi, Director of Health and Social Welfare in Podujeva and Mr. Jusuf Korenica, Director of Family Medicine in Rahovec. At this roundtable, recommendations for the Health Law Commission were also gathered.

Some of the recommendations are as follows:

• Involvement of midwives in the process of drafting guidelines and clinical protocols in obstetrics;
• Description of job duties, depending on the institution where midwives work;
• Continuing professional education for midwives;
• Representation of midwives in decision-making processes within institutions;
• Increasing and strengthening teamwork;
• SHMAKS to be included in all working groups where debates and decisions are made in all laws and bylaws for midwives and her profession;
• Delegation of gynecologists from the Ministry of Health in all maternity hospitals where gynecologists are missing, which enables faster re-functioning of maternity hospitals;
• Description of work tasks and competencies.

This initiative is supported by the Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF) and funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and UN Women.