Bana, West Region of Cameroon- In alignment with local development strategies, UNFPA worked in close collaboration with United Nations Volunteer programme and the Bana City Council to recruit a midwife from the locality for a rapid integration and acceptance from the community. On February 8th 2024, Stella Tchiwobe began working in her new position at the Bana Subdivisional Hospital. “…Her presence will greatly be of help to the women who have been carrying out deliveries in different health centers. These nurses who are not trained midwives…but they do deliveries out of habit. I think the presence of a midwife will help them a lot by honing their skills to be able to better carry out deliveries.” Mr. Sanga Jean-Baptist, Mayor of Bana. Besides the mayor, Stella’s recruitment has also been greatly appreciated by Mr. Bob-iga Emmanual, Subdivisional Officer of Bana. “Her contribution is undeniable when considering the fact that issues related to sexual and reproductive health are a concern, especially in an environment where tradition is very much present. During the celebration of the 39th edition of International Women's Day, she took an active part through educational talks to women, on family planning, breastfeeding and maternal health.”
Stella is a state trained midwife, her swift gait gets her in and out of the maternity ward to watch over her patients: newly delivered mothers and their newborn babies. Despite her duty conscious strides, she doesn’t fail to offer a smile here and there to family members waiting in the corridors. Just six weeks in, and the facility is already feeling the change she has brought. “We have more women coming from Bafang and other surrounding villages for their Antenatal Care and delivery. We used to have about 10 women for antenatal care every month. Now, we have about 20.” says Dr. Ewane, General practitioner at the Hospital. Dr. Ewane has been posted at the hospital facility for the past five years and is impressed at how Stella’s presence is impacting the patient turnout for Reproductive Health Services in such a short while.
Saving the life of a mother and her twin babies
Two weeks after taking up service, Stella led the delivery of Toukam Mirabelle and her twin boys Tieumeni and Fomenyi, from the nearby village of Bakassa. Mirabelle met Stella on her last Antenatal visits. “I met Ms. Stella on my last but one visit. This was my first time meeting a professional midwife. The kind of advice she gave me on how to take care of myself and of my babies was so instructive, so different and so reassuring. I really felt safe and at ease with her. This is my third delivery and no one ever advised me like she did” Mirabelle says, smiling.
Mirabelle was informed that twin pregnancies hardly ever went beyond 8 months and 2 weeks. However, hers went beyond due date thus keeping her in doubt and stressed about the delivery. Her first contractions came unexpectedly. The distance to the health facility and the danger of moving at night, forced Mirabelle to wait until daybreak, delaying her arrival by about 11 hours. This situation greatly exposed her to a tough risk of losing her life or that of her babies. “By the time I got to the hospital, I wasn’t feeling any more contractions. I was worried.” Mirabelle narrates. On arrival, she didn’t meet the midwife but the nurses on duty.
“The day I came to deliver, Ms. Stella was out of the hospital. The personnel I met could only hear the heartbeat of one of the children. That of the second seemed to be too weak.” Said Mirabelle. “I had to call Ms. Stella to make sure she was next to me at this point. I needed her reassurance.” she continued.
A few minutes after receiving this call, Stella arrived at the hospital to attend to Mirabelle. On arrival, she found the theatre ready for surgery. “Her last antenatal visits didn't present anything to worry about. When I arrived, I re-examined Mirabelle, I could clearly hear both heartbeats. I shared with my colleagues that this could be handled without a cesarean section. They trusted me and we all went in to carry out the delivery.” Stella narrates. After about an hour in the delivery room, Mirabelle safely gave birth to her two bouncing baby boys of 3kg each, with no complication nor tears. Her family hasn’t stopped expressing gratitude to Stella since then.
Stella was truly amazing all along. If not for her, I would have had an operation. I am so glad she was there.” Mirabelle says with a broad smile. “When I shared my story with the women around me, many said they will go for their antenatal care at the Bana Subdivisional Hospital from now on. They want Ms. Stella to take care of them too.
Beside deliveries, more and more women come to the Subdivisional Hospital to receive Family Planning counselling and services and for gender-based violence and sexual health issues in general.
In addition to Stella, UNFPA has recruited around 34 midwives deployed to provide frontline reproductive health services in development and humanitarian contexts across the country. The initiative aims to continue advocating for this profession to be fully supported and empowered by the government to effectively end maternal mortality. More midwives in the health system will enhance care and save lives for women and their newborn babies in Cameroon.
