Abstract :

Midwifery practice is a health service provided to the childbearing families. The discipline aims to ensure best possible well-being of child-bearing women and their families to lower the maternal, perinatal, and neonatal morbidities and mortalities. It has existed as long as human existence. In the old days, the elderly women were key players in the provision of care during pregnancy, labour, childbirth and postpartum. They were no formal training, instead their practices were based on experience and orientation to cultural practice. The history of midwifery is based as follows: 1. Informal and formal training of midwives 2. Regulations of midwifery practice 3. Scope of midwifery practice 4. Successes of midwifery practice. The challenges faced by the midwifery practice were identified as 1. Increasing maternal mortality ratio 2. Shortage of resources.3. Lack of midwifery professional association and 4. Professional restrictions on midwives’ private practice. Implications for midwifery practice: This calls for Paucity of research related to midwifery practice and Review policy for training of midwives.

---

Keywords :

Midwifery, Midwifery practice, Midwifery practice in Botswana, Midwives in Botswana

---

References :

1. Botswana Millennium Develeopment Goals Status Report (2015). Sustaining Progress: Botswana Government. United Nations
2. Botswana 2018. Maternal Mortality Rate; Statistics Brief. Statistics Botswana. Gaborone. Botswana.
3. Botswana Ministry of Health and Wellness. UNICEF.WHO & UNFPA (Revised. 2016. The Safe Motherhood Iniative (SMI). Guidelines for Antenatal Care & The Management of Obstetric Emergencies & Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV
4. International Conferdearation of Midwives @ world- midwives. 2019.
5. Kupe, S. (1993). An uneasy walk to quality: A history of evolution of Black Nursing education in the Republic of Botswana, 1922-1980. United States of America: Wasworth Publishing Company
6. Madzimbamuto F, Ray SC, Mogobe KD, et al. A root-cause analysis of maternal deaths in Botswana: Towards developing a culture of patient safety and quality improvement. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2014;14:231.

https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-14-231

7. Mogobe, K. D. & Ncube E. (2005). Evolution of Formal Education in Botswana, 1926-2005, Botswana Notes and Records, Vol 38.
8. Government of Botswana (1992). Nursing and Midwifery Botswana Gaborone: Government Printer.
9. Moller A-B, Petzold M, Chou D, Say L. Early antenatal care visit: A systematic analysis of regional and global levels and trends of coverage from 1990 to 2013. Lancet Glob Health. 2017;5(10): E977–E983. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(17)30325-X
10. Parahoo, K. (2016). Nursing Research Principles, Process and Issues (3rd.ed.). United States of America: Palgrave Macmillan.
11. UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA & Ministry of Health (2011). A manual on basic standards in antenatal care and in the management of obstetric emergencies. Gaborone: Government Printer.
12. UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA & Ministry of Health (2011).Safemotherhood Initiatives (SMI). Guidelines for Antenatal Care and MANAGEMENT OF Obstetric Ememrgencies and Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV, Gaborone: Botswana Government Printer.
13. World Health Organization. The World Health Report 2006 – Working together for health. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2006.
14. World Health Organization and UNICEF (2013). Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival. Building a future for women and children, The 2012 report Update to Countdown to 2015.
15. Scoloveno, R. (2015). A theoretical model of health-related outcomes of resilience in middle adolescents. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 37(3), 342-359.
16. Maternal Health Task Force (2017). Harvard Chan School Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health. 677 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA O2115