Training the Next Generation of Midwife Assistants in Central African Republic

At the Bria Annex Institute, our team teaches lifesaving skills to strengthen the local workforce and improve maternal and infant health outcomes.

International Medical Corps is training the next generation of midwifery assistants in Bria, Central African Republic (CAR). In partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Higher Education, we opened the Bria Annex Institute in 2024 to train qualified health professionals in this vital role. The school will increase the number of skilled birth attendants in CAR, especially in remote areas, while improving access to quality sexual and reproductive health services, and maternal, newborn and child health services, leading to reduced maternal, neonatal morbidity and mortality rates in CAR.

An International Medical Corps midwife assists a new mother at the Regional University Hospital of Bria as she practices breastfeeding.
An International Medical Corps midwife assists a new mother at the Regional University Hospital of Bria as she practices breastfeeding.

Since International Medical Corps began the midwife training programme earlier this year, the first cohort of 18 students (15 women and three men) have spent 680 hours learning and practising the fundamentals of labour and delivery, antenatal consultations, postpartum and newborn care, and culturally sensitive care.

Nurse Services Coordinator Alphonse Ndagijimana reviews documents with a midwife and new mother at the Regional University Hospital of Bria, where students gain direct experience working in maternal healthcare.
Nurse Services Coordinator Alphonse Ndagijimana reviews documents with a midwife and new mother at the Regional University Hospital of Bria, where students gain direct experience working in maternal healthcare.

The Institute is part of the CAR Ministry of Health’s development project, which makes maternal health a national priority and is designed to strengthen the capacity of community health workers, nurses, doctors and other key medical personnel.

A newborn infant, moments after a successful delivery at the Regional University Hospital of Bria.
A newborn infant, moments after a successful delivery at the Regional University Hospital of Bria.
An International Medical Corps midwife supervises a Bria school student as she weighs a newborn at the Regional University Hospital of Bria.
An International Medical Corps midwife supervises a Bria school student as she weighs a newborn at the Regional University Hospital of Bria.

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