As requested by Government of Rwanda, India will provide funding support of US Dollar one million from the India-UN Development Partnership Fund for the project, “Aim for change! Advancing Rwanda's Midwifery to accelerate the realization of Zero preventable maternal deaths through South-South cooperation”.

The project aims to reduce maternal and newborn mortality in Rwanda by strengthening midwifery education, enhancing quality maternal healthcare services and promoting equitable access to skilled midwives through various strategies including South-South Cooperation. The main outcome of the project will be to increase capacities of midwives in both quantity and quality in line with international standards to tackle maternal and newborn mortality.

There is an urgent need for more midwives, especially in the rural areas. Midwifery education in Rwanda is offered at one public university, the University of Rwanda, operating across three campuses (Remera, Rwamagana, and Huye) and three private institutes.

On this occasion, the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said, “We fully recognize Rwanda’s urgent need for more midwives, especially in the rural areas, for which multi-prong action is required to strengthen midwifery education. We are pleased that India could partner with Rwanda to achieve this objective.”

The India-UN Development Partnership Fund, established by the Government of India in June 2017, provides support to projects in developing countries that aim to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The Fund adheres to the principles of South-South cooperation and places a priority on national ownership and leadership, equality, sustainability, development of local capacity and mutual benefit. In six years, the Fund could support 82 projects across 56 countries of the Global South.

14 May 2024

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