SPDC Tains 300 Midwives in Niger Delta

Shell Petroleum Development of Nigeria Limited is spearheading the training of 300 midwives who will support the government’s effort at deploying more
skilled health workers in rural communities.
The 18-month midwifery certification training, which commenced in 2014, aims to produce skilled and motivated change agents in the hinterland, where statistics show that 45 per cent of women are delivered of their babies with the help of unskilled birth attendants, thereby increasing the risk of maternal and infant mortality in such areas, a statement by SPDC said.
The initiative, according to the statement, is sponsored by the company’s Joint Venture in collaboration with the governments of Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo, Abia and Akwa Ibom states, and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.
The statement quoted the SPDC’s acting Regional Community Health Manager, Dr. Akinwumi Fajola, as saying during the cheque presentation ceremony in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, “This is a unique intervention that invests not only in the individual beneficiaries but also in the people hoping to benefit from their newly acquired skills.”