As part of efforts to prevent the most common causes of maternal mortality and morbidity in the Brong Ahafo Area, Midwives and Nurses from five health directorates in Asutifi North and South, Tano North and Sunyani Municipality have been taken through a weeklong Master Class to update them on new research in Helping Babies and Mothers survive using World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

Newmont has been partnering with Project C.U.R.E, a US based NGO since 2013 to provide annual trainings as well as donating medical equipment and supplies to hospitals and health facilities within the Ahafo Mine’s catchment areas and beyond to support quality health care and prevent maternal mortality in the region.

Newmont globally considers Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG) “ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages” as one of its five priority goals as it aligns with the business’ core health and safety value. As such Newmont Ghana has aligned its sustainability strategy to Ghana’s SDGs while it globally contributes towards advancing sustainable development goals.

The training essentially focused on modules from a refresher for Helping Babies Breath, to help those who have taken the course before refresh their skills, Essential Care for Small Babies, Helping Mother’s survive through prevention of the most common causes of postpartum hemorrhage and blood pressure, as well as quality improvement classes.

The Master Class training organized annually does not only provide the midwives with essential skills in child and mother care but also serves as a career development booster for them.

Patty Kelly a registered nurse, mentor and Master Trainer for Helping Babies Breathe, Helping Babies Survive and Helping Mothers Survive who has taught the course in 12 countries and facilitated the Ghana class for the past 5 years described the training as rewarding and was expectant that at the end of the training the Midwives and Nurses will be able to automatically know how to handle emergencies when they happen.

“I know that Newmont Ghana and Project C.U.R.E hope to take this project nationally, so that all midwives, other health workers can continue to care for mothers and babies and keep them all safe and alive” Patty remarked.

Joyce Agyeiwaa, a master trainer for Helping Mothers Survive from Sunyani Nursing and Midwifery College commended Newmont and Project C.U.R.E for organizing the training.

“We identified gaps in the Midwives’ knowledge and so this training has been very resourceful due to the introduction of new trends and low cost interventions”.

Speaking on behalf of Newmont Ghana Ahafo mine, Joseph Danso, the Social Responsibility Manager urged the trainees to make the best out of the training to help prevent mother and child mortality in the region.

“Newmont has been partnering with Project C.U.R.E for about 5 years to organize such trainings for our health workers in order to save mothers and babies within the region” he said.

More than 120 healthcare providers within Sunyani, Asutifi North & South as well as Tano North have received neonatal training since 2014.

A research by health experts who evaluated the impact of the HBB training programme established that between 2015 and 2017 an estimated 157 deaths from birth asphyxia in the Brong-Ahafo region was prevented.