Message from the President:
As we
reflect on the year 2024, I am pleased to share the progress BMS has made in
advancing the midwifery profession and supporting the vital work of midwives
across Bangladesh. This year has been filled with both challenges and
achievements, as we navigated political unrest, strengthened our partnerships,
and continued to advocate for the recognition and professional development of
midwives.
We
initiated the year with the formation of three key sub-committees—Advocacy,
Fundraising, and Midwives’ Recruitment—that have continued to drive our mission
forward. Alongside this, temporary committees were created for specific
programs, including the International Day of the Midwife (IDM) and Annual
General Meeting (AGM). Additionally, the Election Committee, established
earlier in 2024, has paved the way for our upcoming elections in September
2025.
1.
General
operations:
The committees were reviewed, and three sub-committees—Advocacy, Fundraising,
and Midwives’ Recruitment—were established at the beginning of 2024. These
committees have remained active throughout the year. Additionally, temporary
committees were formed for specific programs, such as the International Day of
the Midwife (IDM) and the Annual General Meeting (AGM). An Election Committee
was formed between June and July 2024 and will remain operational until the
elections take place scheduled in 15-Sep-2025. Throughout 2024, BMS operations
were managed by staff members and working groups formed by the executive team,
led primarily by the President, Vice President, General Secretary, Treasurer,
Project Manager, and Finance Manager.
2.
Day
observation:
·
International
Women’s Day (IWD):
BMS celebrated International Women’s Day online, with midwives from across the country
sharing their experiences. One midwife shared her inspiring story of
establishing a Union Sub Center (USC) in a remote location of Bangladesh,
overcoming barriers and now providing services to a significant number of
patients.
·
International Day of the Midwife (IDM):
BMS celebrated IDM nationally with key stakeholders in the midwifery program in
Bangladesh, led by the Director General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM) and
supported by UNFPA. A rally was organized at Dhaka Nursing College (DNC) with
approximately 200 participants. The Chief Guest was the Director General of
DGNM, and BMS executives, the IDM subcommittee, and the Project Manager helped
organize the event, which included sponsoring a cake for the celebration.
3.
Capacity
development
·
Setting
up an Ideal Union Sub Center (USC) to ensure midwifery services:
A committee was formed to establish
ideal USCs by recruiting two midwives and selecting USCs for deployment. The
committee visited USCs to assess the feasibility of the initiative. An
advertisement was circulated, and a structured process was followed to select
midwives. However, due to nationwide unrest during Q3-2024, the DGHS did not
grant permission for deploying the midwives. After consulting with ICM and
UNFPA in September, it was decided to abandon this initiative for the year due
to its impracticality and instead repurpose the funds for institutional visits,
divisional training programs, and a roundtable discussion meeting.
4. Young Midwifery Leadership (YML) Program:
Two YML experts from ICM are
supporting the BMS President (an executive midwife leader of ICM) and Jhumu (a
former YML of ICM) in reviewing and developing modules for the BMS YML program
to strengthen its structure.
The Young Midwife Leadership (YML) program for
August 2023 to September 2024 involved a cohort of 10 midwives from various
regions across the country. The program provided them with a wide range of
training, skill-building opportunities, and hands-on experience in leadership
and advocacy.
Key components of the program included:
SMART Advocacy Training: Facilitated by Faridah of
the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), this training empowered
participants to design specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and
time-bound advocacy initiatives.
Leadership Development: Delivered by the President
of BMS, this session focused on leadership from the perspective of an Executive
Midwife Leader at ICM, providing insights into global midwifery leadership
roles.
Visit to UK and Cambodia: The participants gained
firsthand experience through a field visit to Cambodia and UK of the Project
manager, learning about midwifery practices, challenges, and solutions in
different cultures and healthcare contexts.
Leadership Theories and BMS’s Constitution: The
Project Manager of BMS guided participants through key leadership theories and
the essential structure and policies of BMS, helping the midwives align with
the organizational standards and operational framework.
Teamwork and Professionalism: Conducted by Joy Kemp
from UNFPA, this training emphasized the importance of collaboration, effective
communication, and maintaining professionalism in healthcare settings.
Building Personal Resilience: The General Secretary
provided guidance on developing personal resilience, helping midwives manage
stress and challenges in their personal and professional lives.
Family Planning Strategy in Refugee Camps: The BMS
Treasurer delivered insights into family planning strategies specifically
designed for refugee settings, addressing both the healthcare and humanitarian
aspects.
Extensive Online Course on English: The midwives
participated in a two-month online English language course provided by
Englishology, enhancing their communication skills in English.
In addition to the training, the participants were
involved in various BMS programs, including:
• Annual
General Meetings (AGM)
• Roundtable
Discussions with Media Partners
• Divisional
Refresher Training Programs on Evidence-Based Practices
These activities enriched their practical
experience and understanding of the midwifery profession, enhancing their
leadership skills in the context of national and global healthcare issues.
5.
Advocacy
and communication
·
Public
relations and media engagement:
A roundtable discussion meeting was
held at the press club to advocate for the midwifery profession. BMS explained
how midwives significantly reduce C-sections, maternal and newborn mortality
rates through their services in remote areas of Bangladesh. The team requested
support from civil society and stakeholders to help recruit unemployed
midwives, not only in government but also in private hospitals. They also
emphasized the need for midwives to be placed in policy-level positions and
supported in further education and career development. The event received
coverage from two TV channels (Mohona TV and Bangla Vision) and 15 newspapers,
including Bhorer Kagoj, Dhaka Tribune, and Jaijai Din.
·
Stakeholder
engagement:
-
BMS's Vice President, Secretary,
Treasurer, and Project Manager met with the Directorate General of DGNM to
discuss emerging issues in the midwifery program at the beginning of the year
2024. The DG expressed support and pledged to resolve the issues promptly.
-
A stakeholder meeting on May 9,
2024, included representatives from DGNM, BNMC, UNFPA, SIDA, BRAC, and others.
Faridah from ICM conducted a power mapping exercise. Other issues discussed
included upcoming actions and strategies.
-
On November 7, 2024, a stakeholder
meeting was held with private hospitals to advocate for creating midwifery
positions within these institutions. Despite low attendance, BMS presented the
SoP and Labor Room Protocol, urging hospitals to employ midwives in official
roles, as they are currently working as nurses.
-
By-monthly meetings took place with
UNFPA representatives focused on the 2024 annual work plan, membership drives,
IDM, the secretariat, and developing a global network.
-
Regular online meetings had held
with University of Hudderfield and Maternity Foundation to work in partnership
on leadership development of midwives.
- During the AGM, BMS team visited the TMSS nursing college and Hospital. BMS team interviewed the midwives at the TMSS hospital and one of the Hospital directors to prepare an inspiring video to encourage private hospitals to employ more midwives. Besides, BMS team tried to build a strong relationship with the management of TMSS to get cooperation and support from them in the development of the midwifery program. TMSS management representatives were very supportive and cooperative to the BMS team.
6. Building
member relationship:
·
Online
monthly general meetings: BMS organized monthly general online zoom meetings
to share updates with the general members and during an open session tried to
know the issues, concerns, observations, recommendations of the general
members. In these meetings participants were around 75 to 85 joined with the
BMS team.
·
Annual
General Meeting (AGM):
BMS held its Annual General Meeting on November 21, 2024, at Momo Inn Hotel,
Nowdapara, Bogura, with around 150 participants. The Chief Guest was Prof. Dr.
Hosne Ara Begum, Founder Executive Director of TMSS, and Special Guests
included Rtn. Dr. Md. Matiur Rahman, Deputy Executive Director-2, TMSS Bogura,
and Nasima Shahin, Principal of Bogura Nursing College. During the meeting, BMS
provided updates on its 2024 activities, and presented the updated financial
statement. The project manager shared portions where the constitution will be
reviewed and the electronic voting system.
·
Divisional
outreach:
Due to political unrest in
July-August 2024, BMS faced challenges with membership enrollment. To address
this, BMS organized divisional programs to motivate members, promote midwifery
services, conduct training, and increase membership. Four divisional programs
took place in Q4-2024 across Sylhet, Dhaka, Barishal, and Rangpur, with local
authorities, such as civil surgeons and Assistant District Public Health Nurses
(ADPHN), engaged in the events.
o
Sylhet: Training on "Respectful Maternity Care and Emergency
Crisis Management" took place at the Surma Nursing College with 77
participants. The training program resulted in enrolling 55 and renewing 21
members.
o
Dhaka: Refresher training on Behavior Change Communication (BCC), Menstrual
Regulation, and conflict management was organized at Nursing & Midwifery
College Tangail, with 75 participants. During the program 15 midwifery students
and 19 registered midwives enrolled with BMS.
o
Rangpur: Refresher training on evidence-based midwifery practices
(GBV, ANC, PPH, and eclampsia) was held at Nursing and Midwifery College,
Dinajpur, with 140 participants. In the program 128 members are made.
o Barishal:
A refresher training on Behavior Change
Communication (BCC) & Conflict Management took place at the Conference
Room if Brown Compound, Barisal. There were total 80 participants, including
the Civil Surgeon, DPHN and ADPHNs etc. Through the program a total of 220 members are made, among them 175
are midwifery students(enrolled) and 45 registered midwives (renewed).
·
Institutional
Outreach:
Due to unrest and conflicts in many institutions, BMS's leadership intervened
to advocate for professional development and encourage students to return to
their studies. The President visited Nursing and Midwifery College Tangail, and
the General Secretary visited Bandorban Nursing Institute, emphasizing the
importance of focusing on career development, BMS membership, online courses,
and the online voting process.
7.
Strengthening
BMS the capacity of the association and setting up secretariat:
·
Constitution
Review:
ICM’s consultant, along with a local consultant, is currently reviewing BMS's
existing constitution. The review will address several areas, including:
o
Number of Executive Committee
members
o
Secretariat addition
o
Organogram review
o
Review of mission, vision, and
values
o
Types of membership
o
Roles and responsibilities, ensuring
committee accountability
o
Quorum, meeting, and voting
procedures
o
Definition of disciplinary meetings,
committee activities, etc.
o
Strengthening the election process
for a competency-based election.
·
Competency-Based
Election:
Preparatory work for the competency-based election was underway. However, due
to nationwide unrest in July-August and the resulting drop in membership
enrollment/renewals, the National Executive Committee decided to postpone the
election to September 2025, instead of December 2024.
·
Minimizing
gaps in policy procedures:
A workshop was held on January 27, 2024, to identify gaps in workshop/training
organization systems. As a result, clear guidelines were developed and
introduced to the National Executive Committee (NEC), aligning with the current
financial policy of BMS and UNFPA protocols to minimize irregularities. In the
fourth quarter, the Project Manager and Finance Manager prepared a list of
policy procedures necessary to comply with donor projects and NGO Affairs
Bureau (NGOAB) registration.
8.
Membership
database:
BMS’s website and membership
database system have been regularly updated, with backups maintained to ensure
data security. Monthly reports on membership and e-learning platform activity
have been submitted by the consultant. A helpline is available from 9 AM to 6
PM on weekdays to assist with membership enrollment and renewals.
Members who forget their passwords
or need assistance with the e-learning platform frequently contact the helpline
at 01844453451. In 2024, the helpline supported 833 new member registrations
and 266 renewals. On average, the helpline receives 10-15 calls per day,
primarily for inquiries on membership enrollment, renewals, password resets,
and online course access. (As of December 17, 2024, the data may change by
December 31, 2024.)
9. New
partnerships in 2025:
·
Nursing Now Challenge Fellowship Program Phase-2:
BMS has received a small grant from the UK based NGO Tropical
Health Education Trust (THET) to support the strengthening of Menstrual Regulation
(MR), Post Abortion Care (PAC), Family Planning (FP) and Reproductive Health
Service provision and Audit tool implementation in eight UHCs. BMS implemented
the project in partnership with University of Huddersfield, UK. The University
of Huddersfield is a new partner for BMS and working with them brought BMS with
huge learning and experience sharing opportunity. The projects ran through June to December
2024. The objective of the project was to provide women and adolescent girls in
Bangladesh high-quality access to safe sexual and reproductive health
(MR/PAC/FP) services in eight targeted Upazila Health Complexes (UHCs).
The project implemented with approval from the Directorate
General of Health Services (DGHS). The eight UHCs where the Quality Improvement
projects on MR/PAC/FP and Audit tool implemented are as follows:
|
UHC
name |
Midwife
name |
QI
project on |
|
|
1. |
Mehendigonj, Barisal |
Bithy Akter |
MR/PAC/FP |
|
2. |
Boalmari Faridpur |
Toma Das and Kobita Khatun |
MR/PAC/FP |
|
3. |
Morolganj, Bagerhat |
Afia Akhter |
MR/PAC/FP |
|
4. |
Domar, Nilphamari |
Sheuly Roy |
MR/PAC/FP |
|
5. |
Sarsha, Jashore |
Afsana Aziz Keya |
Audit
tool |
|
6. |
Dhunot, Bogura |
Most. Maksuma Akter and Nazmoon Naher |
Audit
tool |
|
7. |
Belcochi, Sirajganj |
Mst. Dulali khatun |
Audit
tool |
|
8. |
Tarash Sirajganj |
Ismotara |
Audit
tool |
·
Maternity Foundation:
BMS in partnership with Maternity Foundation has an
agreement to organize a Training of Trainers (customized training package) and
cascade the ToT to 20 general members.
10.
ICM
representative visit:
Faridah Luyiga, Advocacy lead of ICM visited
Bangladesh from 29 April to 9 May 2024. During her visit she met with
representatives from UNFPA, BRAC, The National Liver Foundation,
representatives from John Hopkins University of USA etc.
Faridah of ICM visited Bangladesh from 29 April to
9 May, 2024. During her visit met with representatives of UNFPA, BRAC, the
national liver foundation, John Hopkin’s University who had prepared a paper on
“Impact of skilled midwives on saving maternal and newborn lives in
Bangladesh”.
Besides, she went to Upazila Health Complex (UHC)
of Shreepur and Rajendrapur Union Sub Center on 6-May-2024. She also went to
BMS office, participated the interview with the midwives who will join the
USCs.
11.
Staff
members and their roles:
Project Manager (full time): BMS’s Project Manager,
Mrs. Sharmin Shobnom Joya, has continued to provide essential support to the
project throughout the year. She is responsible for overseeing the
implementation of project activities in alignment with the work plan and
budget. Additionally, Mrs. Sharmin plays a key role in fostering new
partnerships and engaging with stakeholders. She works closely with the
executive team, providing coordination and support in the execution of daily
activities, as well as in reporting, financial reconciliation, and
documentation.
Finance Manager and Assistant officer of Finance
and project (Full time): BMS Finance
Manager and Assistant provided financial management services and other matters
in compliance with BMS’ finance policy. This is a programmatic support role
that guides and builds the capacity of BMS to manage finances and support the
project operations. The Accounts support role undertakes banking, funds
withdrawal, and payments to individuals and oversight of the procurement process.
Plan
of 2025:
o Our
aim is to add more 2000 members in the year 2025
o Start
an income generating project and
mobilize fund
o Write
articles for journals
o International
exposure
o Create
jobs for midwives in the private and public sector
o Provide
midwives recognition
o Support
midwives ensuring a working environment where they can work according to their
full scope of practice
o Setting
up secretariat
o Review
constitution
o NGOAB
registration
o Secure
more grants
o Recruit
a technical advisor midwife and a resource mobilization officer
Concluding
remarks:
As we conclude 2024, we filled with immense pride
for the progress BMS has made and the strides we've taken toward advancing the
midwifery profession in Bangladesh. Despite the challenges we faced, our
collective dedication, passion, and commitment have allowed us to continue supporting
midwives, advocating for policy changes, and fostering partnerships that drive
our mission forward.
This year has been a testament to the resilience of
our members, staff, and stakeholders. Through our successful events, divisional
outreach programs, and strategic collaborations, we have further solidified BMS
as a key advocate for midwifery development and maternal and newborn health in
the country.
As we move into 2025, we are optimistic about the
future and remain focused on our goals—strengthening our organizational
structure, expanding our membership base, and continuing to provide midwives
with the support they need to thrive in their profession.
Thank you to all our members, partners, and the
entire team for their unwavering support. Together, we will continue to make a
lasting impact on the lives of midwives and the families they serve.
Let’s look forward to another year of growth,
advocacy, and collaboration.