Research projects

Capacitating East African Leaders- A collaboration between Karolinska Instituetet and Dalarna University

The Swedish care model MIDWIZE defined as midwife-led interdisciplinary care and zero separation between mother and newborn, was implemented in 2020–21 in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, and Somalia in a capacity building programme funded by the Swedish Institute.

Description

Objective: To determine the feasibility of using an internet-based capacity building programme contributing to effective
midwifery practices in the labour rooms through implementation of dynamic birthing positions, delayed
umbilical cord clamping and skin-to-skin care of newborns in the immediate postnatal period.

Methods: The design is inspired by process evaluation. Focus group discussions with policy leaders, academicians,
and clinicians who participated in the capacity building programme were carried out. Before and after the
intervention, the numbers for dynamic birthing positions, delayed umbilical cord clamping and skin-to-skin care
of the newborn in the immediate postnatal period were detected.

Results: Participants believed the internet-based programme was appropriate for their countries’ contexts based
on their need for improved leadership and collaboration, the need for strengthened human resources, and the
vast need for improved outcomes of maternal and newborn health.

Conclusion: The findings provide insight into the feasibility to expand similar online capacity building programmes
in collaboration with onsite policy leaders, academicians, and clinicians in sub-Saharan African countries
with an agenda for improvements in maternal and child health. This pilot will now be implemented and scaled up.

Project overview
Project Leader
Project period
2023-01-01 — 2024-06-30
Project status
Completed