Empowering midwives to lead change in PNG

JBI’s Assoc Prof Zachary Munn and Ms Alexa McArthur recently travelled to Papua New Guinea to deliver a specially tailored Clinical Leadership Workshop for 71 midwifery alumni of Australia Awards scholarships. The scholarships for midwives aim to build capacity in the next generation of global leaders to lead and implement change to improve health outcomes for mothers and new-born children.

In partnership with Australia Awards, JBI helped prepare the 71 graduates to reintegrate within local communities and health services by delivering the two-day, evidence-based Clinical Leadership Workshop.

The specially tailored Workshop provided participants with practical techniques to lead initiatives related to implementing evidence-based approaches to healthcare and achieving change. In particular, the Workshop was designed to equip participants to take on the role of being an active agent for change, while always being cognisant of their available resources, team culture and current best practice.

Many of the midwifery graduates work in very remote areas of Papua New Guinea, which has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the Asia Pacific region with an estimated 733 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. The work the graduating midwives will perform after having been prepared and empowered to initiate and lead change to improve health outcomes for mothers and new-born children is crucial.  

"The challenges many midwives face in providing maternal and newborn care is overwhelming, but it is clear that the skills and shared discussions through the leadership training assisted in building capacity amongst the midwifery graduates", said Ms McArthur. 

"It was a privilege working with this passionate group of midwives in Papua New Guinea. The persistence and commitment to continually improving despite the enormous challenges they all face is simply inspiring", said Assoc Prof Munn.

Find out more about JBI's Clinical Leadership Workshop