ICM Board Meeting 28-29 May 2015 –Report from the Board Members – Sandra Oyarzo Torres
Annual Report from Americas (Latin America)
Sandra Oyarzo Torres
Report of Activities including regulation, education and strengthening midwifery associations in
The Region:
June 2014:
•Meeting Dr Camacho (UNFPA) and FLO President, Ana Labandera in order to start activities and
becoming familiar with the regional work.
•Meeting the Chilean Ministry of Health Sub Secretary. To introduce the ICM Representation for the
region.
•Start point of contact with the LAC Mas.
•Organization of the Chilean team who will support ICM locally, including assistance in the English
Language, to translate texts from Spanish into English to share the information with the LAC Mas.
Assistance: Prof. Jorge Carroza, Assistant Professor, Universidad de Chile.
•Meeting Prof. Patricia Elgueta: planning workshop Taller Enseñanza Basada en Competencias (CBE)
to prepare Workshop in Peru. ICM, UNFPA, LACRO.
The objective is to strengthen competence-based midwifery education, based on the ICM model.
This workshop was held in Lima from September 5 to 10.
The organizing committee depends on FLO ( Federación Latinoamericana de Obstetras) President
RM Ana Gladys Labandera Monteblanco.
Lecturers team:
UNFPA/LAC Technical Advisor: Strengthening Midwifery in LAC region
Dr. RM. Joyce Thompson. PhD. MPH.
Professor Emerita Western Michigan University.
WHO Collaborating Center. Midwifery School. University of Chile:
Lecturers RM Assistant Professor Patricia Elgueta
RM Assistant Professor Sandra Oyarzo (ICM Representative).
Facultad de Obstetricia de la Universidad de San Martín. Perú
Lecturer RM Tula Zegarra.
•Meeting Dr. Joyce Thompson and other colleagues via SKYPE to organize the workshop mentioned
before.
•Meeting Midwife Marta Prieto. First Chilean midwife working at PAHO, to start contact with ICM and
support the work to be developed in the region.
July 2014
•Meeting new Dean Prof. Dr. Manuel Kukuljan. To inform about ICM representation and to ask for his
support.
•Meeting Midwife Griselda Ugalde from Costa Rica via SKYPE.
ICM Board Meeting 28-29 May 2015 –Report from the Board Members – Sandra Oyarzo Torres
Makes first contact and then derived to Irene de la Torre according to ICM regional organization, and
contact the Director of WHO Collaborating Center. Midwifery School. University of Chile. Associate
Professor. Dr. RM Lorena Binfa. PhD. MPH.
•5 Meetings with Dr. Joyce Thompson and other colleagues via SKYPE con to organize the CBE
workshop.
•Lima, Perú. July 17, 18, 19. International Course: “Continuous Maternal, Newborn and Child Care, with
an Intercultural Health Rights Approach”. The aim of this academic event was to strengthen the skills of
midwives, in order to develop and strengthen cognitive, procedural and attitudinal skills. Continuous
Attention to mother, newborn and child with intercultural approach and health rights; based in teaching
methods according to the current technical standards.
Presentations made:
1. Multidisciplinary and Multi-professional Team work Experience at the University of Chile.
2. ICM Standards to strengthen Sexual and Reproductive Health.
•Presentation of ICM Representation to Chilean Midwifery Regional Council to ask from their support.
Presidents of Regional Midwifery Association from all the country attended to this meeting.
August 2014
•Presentation of "Midwifery in Chile: a successful experience to improve women´s sexual and
reproductive health. Facilitators and challenges” at National Midwives’ Day Conference. Concepción,
Chile.
http://www.colegiodematronas.cl/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1849:d%C3%ADamatrones-2014
•Presentation of ICM´s President greetings letter to Chilean Midwifery Association in the 180th
celebration.
http://www.colegiodematronasdechile.cl/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1917:180a%C3%B1os-de-la-matroner%C3%ADa-en-chile&Itemid=210
September 2014
•Lima, Perú. September 5 – 10. Competence Based Wrokshop. [(Taller de Educación Basada en
Competencias (EBC)] for Trainers (TOT).
http://www.usmp.edu.pe/index.php?pag=novedades&sec=nov266
•September 5-10 2014, held in the premises of the Universidad de San Martin de Porres (USMP),
Faculty of Nursery and Obstetrics in Lima, Peru, with 19 obstetrics educators, coming from 9 universities
in Argentina, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay and four leading professors from Universidad de
Chile: Collaborating Center (2), the USMP (1), and a UNFPA-LACRO Technical Assistant (1). The
workshop aims were achieved and the educators participated enthusiastically and actively.
The contents were based on the ICM, UNFPA y CRMA workshop held in the Caribbean in October
2013, and it included CBE teaching, learning and evaluation methods.
ICM Board Meeting 28-29 May 2015 –Report from the Board Members – Sandra Oyarzo Torres
•New York. USA. Attending the UN General Assembly from 19-27 September as part of the ICM team
to participate at various side sessions during the UNGA. As the ICM board member representation the
Americas.
http://www.internationalmidwives.org/news/?nid=190
ICM was represented by Global Ambassador H.E. Toyin Saraki, President, Chief Executive and Board
Member Sandra Oyarzo Torres, Dorothea Lang (ICM Representative to the UN and Joyce Hyatt). Other
midwives present were Lennie Kamwendo, Rose Mlay (WRA), Joanna Nemrava, President of the
Canadian Association of Midwives, who was there as part of the Canadian delegation and Jordanian
midwife Munira Shaban. Recruited out of retirement in her late sixties by the UNFPA office in Jordan to
provide midwifery services to Syrian refugees in the Za'atari camp.
November 2014
•Panama City – Panama Nov 6 to 7, 2014
Attending the GTR “Grupo de Trabajo Regional para la Reducción de la Mortalidad Materna” (Regional
Working Group for the Reduction of Maternal Mortality) Annual Planning Meeting as a Regional ICM
Representative.
Members: Alma Virginia Camacho, UNFPA/LACRO; Bremen de Mucio, CLAP-SMR/OPS-OMS;
Verónica Reis, MCSP; Martha Murdock, FCI; Luisa Brumana, UNICEF; Verónica Valdivieso, USAID;
Douglas Jarquin, FLASOG; Ariadna Capasso, FCI; Irene de La Torre, ICM; Sandra Oyarzo Torres,
ICM.
http://gtrvidasmaternas.org/GTR/?q=es/node/179
Description: The objectives of the GTR Annual Planning were:
1. Reviewing the implementation of GTRs’ 2014 annual work plan.
2. Analyzing advocacy opportunities for GTR, and prioritize strategies and actions for 2015, particularly
within the framework of post-2015 agenda.
3. Discussing the 2015 work plan and approve a first draft.
4. Election of Secretariat and members of the Executive Committee 2015-2017.
During the working days the following issues were discussed:
Priority areas of work
Advocacy
Delivery Skilled Care
Updating of Consensus Document
•Guatemala City, Guatemala, Nov 17 – 21. Attendance to PAHO/WHO preparation meeting for the
module: “Atención de Calidad a mujeres con complicaciones hemorrágicas del embarazo”, (Quality
attention to women who present bleeding problems during and after pregnancy)
http://www.paho.org/clap/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=263:cero-muertesmaternas-por-hemorragia-autoridades-de-salud-de-varios-paises-de-la-region-aceptaron-el-desafioen-guatemala-&Itemid=0&lang=es
I was invited to present ICM’s view to propose a teaching-learning strategy related to bleeding during
and after pregnancy. The invitation was extended by PAHO/WHO, CLAP through Dr Bremen De Muccio.
My presentation was divided into two parts: “Uso de las Normas y Competencias Globales de la ICM”;
(“Using ICM’s Global Competencies and Guidelines”) and “Helping Mothers Survive Bleeding After
Birth”.
ICM Board Meeting 28-29 May 2015 –Report from the Board Members – Sandra Oyarzo Torres
December 2014
•Mexico City. Mexico. December 3 and 4. 2014 “Midwifery Forum. Joining Forces”
The forum was summoned by: The Mexican Health Secretariat, The Undersecretary for the Promotion
and Prevention of Health, The National Center for Gender Equity and Reproductive Health,
PAHO/WHO.
http://www.paho.org/mex/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=858:foro-qparteriasumando-esfuerzosq
Participants:
Traditional Birth Attendants, Obstetric and Perinatology Nurses, UNAM nurses, National Polytechnic
Institute and private schools, Public Health Professionals, Community Representatives, LAC midwifery
experts, UNFPA, PAHO/WHO, Mac Arthur foundation.
General Objective:
Identifying mechanisms to strengthen perinatal and maternal health attention, through the participation
of different professionals involved with midwifery in Mexico.
I participated in the Panel: “Integration of professional Midwifery”, conducted by Dr Bremen De Muccio,
in which the experiences in Chile and Canada were presented by Anita Román, President of the Chilean
Midwifery Association, and Lorena Garrido. General Director, Quebec Midwifery Association.
Representing myself and Irene de la Torre, I presented: “Main Opportunities and Challenges for
midwifery and ICM’s role in them”.
February 2015
•San José – Costa Rica February 25th,26th and 27th, 2015: “ Workshop to introduce ICM Midwifery
Standards in Central America and Mexico”
http://www.unfpa.or.cr/actualidad/3-actualidad/882-el-ejercicio-de-la-parteria-profesional-es-analizadoen-taller-regional
Organizers: UNFPA, ICM, PAHO/WHO/USAID/FCI COLEGIO DE ENFERMERAS DE COSTA RICA
(Costarrican Nurse Association), FLO (Latin American Federation of Midwives)
Participants:
27 participants including: Midwife nurses from Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama and Costa Rica,
authorities from the Health Ministries from the different countries.
Academic Team:
Dr. Alma Virginia Camacho, Dr. Joyce Thompson, Dr. Sandra Land, Midwife Ivelise Segovia, Midwife
Ana Labandera and Assistant Professor Midwife Sandra Oyarzo.
The workshop objectives were:
1. Introducing ICM’s standards and competences in Central America and Mexico.
2. Analyzing relevance of ICM’s standards and competences to allow the development and practice
of professional midwifery.
3. Discussing efforts performed in the LAC region to strengthen quality and competent midwifery
practice.
4. Defining priorities in participating countries, which support the design and implementation of an
action plan.
ICM Board Meeting 28-29 May 2015 –Report from the Board Members – Sandra Oyarzo Torres
March 2015
Strengthening of networking with the Latin American Parliamentary Group, for the launching of the
Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health Consultation in LAC. Established
contact with Mas, NGOs and Local Congressmen together with Chilean Midwifery Association.
Strengthening of networking with WHO collaborating Center. Midwifery School. University of Chile.
Established contact with Professor Dr Lorena Binfa to develop a Training Program for Midwives in Latin
America to prevent Haemorrhage related deaths.
The Collaborating Center has been incorporated to the Global Network, and is willing to work with ICM
for the development and strengthening of research in LAC.
Local Coordination meetings for the ICM team, translation, analysis and edition of disciplinary texts,
permanent email contact with Midwives Associations, Participation in International Scheduled Meetings,
preparation of materials and PPTs for presentations in the different countries.
Current issues of Significance in The Region:
Issues of significance in the Central and Latin American region are education, regulation and
association, due to the different realities existing in the region. In some places, these three areas should
be developed, as they are just starting to be introduced. In other countries, these three issues have
developed simultaneously, (Uruguay, Chile, Peru, and Argentina). In other cases, some countries have
met the education and association standards have been met, but not regulation. There are other
countries which have recently started struggling to obtain the necessary professional recognition which
has been achieved long ago in other places (Paraguay, Ecuador). The challenges we have are, for
instance, in Central America, where CBE is being introduced, as well as the strengthening of Regional
Midwifery Associations, as Costa Rica, which is trying to be an ICM member. It is important to remark
the reopening of the Technical Midwifery School with direct entry in Guatemala, after 60 years.
In LAC, there has been a negative impact on the remuneration of midwives due to the economic crisis,
in spite of the lack of midwives that some countries present.
I also important to consider the strengthening of the work between MAs in the LAC region, and the
proposal of strategies to solve the priority health problems: maternal mortality, adolescent pregnancy
and access to family planning.