June 21, 2010

Jhpiego gives international award to Ghanaian midwife

In the developing world, midwives are frontline health care providers, giving life-saving information to pregnant women, counseling HIV-positive women on how to protect their unborn children from infections, preparing women to give birth and plan their families, helping deliver babies and connecting the greater community to health care.

On June 6, in recognition of the invaluable work of midwives in low-resource settings, Jhpiego presented the international Midwife Champion of the Year Award to Mary Issaka, who was nominated by the U.N. Population Fund for her work in the Bongo District of Bolgatanga, Ghana.

“In all my life I did not think anyone knew what I was doing outside of my village,” Issaka said. “I did not think anyone really cared about someone working in such a remote place. I am overwhelmed.”

As part of the award, Jhpiego provides $5,000 to the recipient to support his or her work in the community.