JICA Human Development department; Think Safe and Happy Childbirth from "Humanized Maternity Care"

Utilization as a material for JICA Knowledge Co-Creation Programs^[1]

The material was screened in JICA Knowledge Co-Creation Programs.

We screened JICA-Net multimedia-based learning material "For Safe and Happy Childbirth: JICA's Approach to Humanized Maternity Care" (external link) in JICA Knowledge Co-Creation Programs "Improvement of Maternal Health for French - Speaking African Countries (for government officials)" that we supposed to utilize this material from the beginning, as a part of the lecture about midwifery system and care in Japan. 11 participants watched the material who were midwives and obstetricians working in maternal and child health field and came from Burkina Faso, Benin, Guinea, Niger, Chad, Congo(DRC), Togo, Senegal and Cote d'Ivoire

What is "Humanized Maternity Care"?

The midwife who participated in JICA's training supports childbirth in Cambodia

JICA has been developing the project about humanized maternity care in eight countries ( Brazil, Bolivia, Armenia, Madagascar, Benin, Cambodia, Senegal and Mozambique) since 1996. #Humanized Maternity Care" means to maximize the innate capabilities of women and babies and offer them safe pregnancy, delivery and postnatal period, with the recognition of childbirth as natural physiological and cultural process, not an illness. Evidence-based midwifery care enable pregnant and delivering women to avoid the excessive medical intervention. Having attuned to delivering women, offering gentle encouragement and respecting women and babies makes the childbirth warm and happy. This material explains JICA's approach to Humanized Maternity Care through the projects in Brazil and Cambodia.

To understand "Humanized Maternity Care"

Trainees were watching the movie with great interest

11 participants took notes while they were watching the movie earnestly. After watching the material, they said "The visual contents enable to understand conceptual contents easily.", "I thought humanized maternity care is cost-effective in term of not needing special medical device and maximizing innate capabilities of women and babies.", "Contributing reduction of maternal mortality ratio and neonatal mortality rate through midwifery capacity development is just the theme that we would like to challenge in our country. We will welcome JICA project of Humanized Maternity Care". There were participants who adopted Humanized Maternity Care to the Action Plan as the result of 3 weeks training. We handed participants the material to utilize in their own countries.

This material is useful for everyone

The purpose of this material is not only to disseminate the Humanized Maternity Care to maternal and child health professionals, but also to make people in general think "What is happy childbirth?" once again. Suggested uses for this material include JICA Knowledge Co-Creation Programs, counterparts in overseas, university lectures, Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) and general public as well. The material DVD were distributed to more than 10 nursing colleges. At a part of those colleges, I gave a lecture with screening and it garnered good reviews. Besides, JOCV trainee said, "It is truly inspirational. As a Japanese midwife, I would like to disseminate respectful maternity care in the place of appointment." In another screening for non-health care field, "I was impressed as a woman. I recommend this material to my friend who will have a baby." said participant. The material translated in English, French and Portuguese. We would like to use this material both in domestic and overseas widely.

Etsuko Nakamura
Associate Expert
Health Group 2
JICA Human Development department

*The Material(s) mainly applied

For Safe and Happy Childbirth:JICA's Approach to Humanized Maternity Care

This material explains JICA's Humanized Maternity Care approach in the field of maternal and child health, through the projects in Brazil and Cambodia.

• YouTube (external link)