An investment of over $400,000 per year will see the University College of the North (UCN) offer midwifery training in southern Manitoba next year, Advanced Education and Literacy Minister Diane McGifford and Health Minister Theresa Oswald announced at the Canadian Association of Midwives ninth annual general meeting, conference and exhibit in Winnipeg.
“Manitoba is proud of the internationally acclaimed midwifery degree program designed by midwives for midwives and delivered since September 2006 by the University College of the North,” McGifford said. “We are pleased to announce expansion of the existing program to Winnipeg and other southern Manitoba locations with eight seats to ensure more midwives will be educated to meet the demand for health-care options for mothers and newborns.”
“Today’s announcement builds on our commitment toward a new era in maternal health care across Manitoba,” Oswald said. “Midwives are an important part of our strategy to improve maternal care and training midwives in southern Manitoba will mean more midwives for women and their families.”
Midwifery has been a regulated health profession in Manitoba since June 2000, after proclamation of the Midwifery Act. The UCN midwifery education program was established in 2006, beginning with training in northern Manitoba. With the new funding in place, the midwifery program will have total ongoing support of $859,000. The Manitoba government funds midwifery services through regional health authorities and has steadily increased the number of midwives from none in 1999 to 45 funded midwife positions today, with more than half in rural and northern areas.
“This exciting announcement brings with it a much-needed increase in the availability of midwifery professionals and enhances the birthing experience for mothers and families,” said Denise K. Henning, president and vice-chancellor of the University College of the North. “UCN greatly supports the expansion of this program as it incorporates natural approaches to birthing and brings that experience closer to home.”
The ministers noted these investments have helped to increase access to midwifery services for Manitoba families. A recent report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information indicates Manitoba, along with Ontario and British Columbia, has the highest number of midwives per capita across the country.
Manitoba Association of Midwives president Rebecca Wood said, “The expansion of midwifery education is good news for Manitoba families wanting more professional health-care options when it comes to maternal and newborn health. We welcome this opportunity to increase access to midwifery education and, in turn, midwifery services.”
“Manitoba’s midwifery education program has received national and international recognition and today’s exciting announcement reinforces the province’s commitment to maternal health care,” added Gisela Becker, president of the Canadian Association of Midwives. “Manitoba is making important contributions to the development and expansion of midwifery care across Canada.”
The Winnipeg midwifery training expansion comes as planning continues for a midwife-led birthing centre to be located in south Winnipeg. In the past decade, Manitoba has made a number of investments in maternal and child health-care services including:
• adding 11 midwife positions last year, bringing the total funded positions to 45;
• redeveloping the Women’s Hospital at Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg;
• expanding and redeveloping the maternity ward at St. Boniface General Hospital;
• investing more than $1 million to implement the initiatives identified by the Maternal and Child Health-care Services (MACHS) Task Force including projects that enhance and strengthen both primary care and prevention services;
• renovating and expanding the birthing areas at the Ste. Anne and Bethesda hospitals;
• introducing the Healthy Baby Prenatal Benefit, a program which provides financial assistance for healthy nutrition during pregnancy;
• introducing the Triple P parenting program in 2006 to support parents; and
• creating Healthy Child Manitoba, a nationally renowned model that bridges departments and governments with the community to provide programs and services to promote healthy children, in 2000.
