Ghanaian midwife wins international award

A Senior Midwife of the Koforidua Regional Hospital, Miss Cecilia Anna Asare has won this year's Marie Goubran Memorial Award organised by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). The triennial award, which goes with 4,000 Euros and a certificate, was presented to Miss Asare at the ICM's triennial conference in Vienna, Austria, on 14 April, this year.

It was instituted by the parents of the late Marie Goubran, a former Secretary General of the Confederation, to promote midwifery education and practice in Africa. As a show of solidarity with their sister-in-Christ, the Koforidua-Adweso St Dominic Parish branch of the Christian Mothers Association (CMA), presented Miss Asare with a parcel at a thanksgiving church service on Sunday, which also coincided with the celebration of the International Mothers Day.

Miss Asare, who qualified as a Nurse in 1966 and became a Midwife in 1974, is currently a Senior Nursing Officer in-charge of the Maternity Ward of the Koforidua Regional Hospital. Since 1990, she had also been a national trainer of midwives in life saving skills in Midwifery and Safe Motherhood Clinical skills.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Miss Asare said she won the competition with her curriculum vitae detailing her duties and achievements so far and what she would utilise the amount accompanying the award for.

She said she intended to use the 4,000 Euros to conduct a project in four selected health centres at Assin Kushea, Praso, Jaikai and Awusem, to help to improve the reproductive health services in the area and enhance the prevention of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. She said she was dedicating the award to God, her parents and colleagues "who made it possible for me to win this prestigious award."