Midwifery school: Life for mothers and children in South Sudan

Background information

According to UNICEF, 62 out of 1,000 babies in South Sudan die in their first year of life. In comparison: in Switzerland, this figure is four out of every 1,000 children (as of 2018).

The need for trained midwives is therefore great. The midwifery school of our partner organization PRDA was founded in 2005 in the city of Leer. In spring 2014, the school relocated to northern Kenya due to the civil war. Construction of the midwifery school in Juba began in 2022. The newly built school in Juba was finally opened in 2023.

As part of a three-year training course, qualified midwives are trained there to accompany women during pregnancy and childbirth, prevent problems and treat complications. There is a fundamental demand for training in the health sector in South Sudan. Prevention activities, including vaccinations, are also important in order to reduce the spread of diseases. The trained midwives inform women about reproductive health.

Project goals

The project trains professional midwives. They care for women during pregnancy as well as during and after birth and give the newborns a good start in life.

The overall goal of the project is to support mothers and children. The trained midwives provide women of childbearing age with knowledge regarding hygiene as well as reproductive health and family planning issues. At the same time, women and infants have better access to medical care.

Target group

The project benefits the wider population in South Sudan, as the midwives remain in the health sector after completing their training and either teach with the international organization "Community Midwives" or continue their studies. In any case, it benefits women throughout South Sudan, whether in camps for internally displaced persons or in refugee camps outside the country, where there is also a great need for trained midwives. The Presbyterian Relief and Development Agency (PRDA) recruits students from all regions of South Sudan, regardless of ethnicity or religion.

Activities

• Theoretical and practical training of women to become state-certified midwives
• Carrying out vaccination campaigns for infants and expectant mothers as well as women who have recently given birth during the practical training period (midwives must attend at least 50 births during their training in order to graduate)
• Purchase of teaching materials and work clothes
• Accommodation and meals for students and teaching staff
• Support for the alumni network

Project progress

Im Jahr 2025 konnte unsere Partnerorganisation weitere Ausbauten am 2023 eingeweihten Schulgebäude in Juba ausführen. Eingerichtet wurden Wasserstationen zum Waschen, ein Lager für die Küche und ein Sicherheitsraum. Das Haupttor wurde erneuert und das Schulgelände gepflästert. Die Schule konnte 59 Studierende im Internatsbetrieb unterbringen und verpflegen. Zudem konnte ein Schulbus mit 32 Sitzplätzen angeschafft werden.

Besonders erfreulich ist die Anerkennung der Schule im Land. Das Gesundheitsministerium des Südsudans akkreditierte und zertifizierte die Schule. Die Hebammenschule unterzeichnete Vereinbarungen mit Partnerkrankenhäusern, um die klinische Ausbildung der Studierenden zu sichern.

Bei der nationalen Abschlussprüfung 2025 bestanden 55 von 59 Studierenden; die vier verbleibenden konnten eine Zusatzprüfung absolvieren. Die 59 Absolventinnen erhielten am 12. Dezember 2025 ihr Diplom an der Abschlussfeier; sie leisten künftig einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Reduktion der nach wie vor ausserordentlich hohen Mütter- und Kindersterblichkeit im Land.

Für die Weiterentwicklung fokussieren die Projektverantwortlichen auf zwei Punkte: die Auswahl der neuen Studierenden soll gemeinsam mit lokalen Kirchen noch transparenter gestaltet werden. Und die enge Zusammenarbeit mit dem Gesundheitsministerium zur Einhaltung festgelegter Richtlinien hat sich bewährt und wird weitergeführt.