A newborn who does not breathe, or a mother who bleeds heavily after delivery, leaves a midwife only minutes to act. Twenty-four midwives and doctors from the Zambezi, Kavango East and Kavango West regions are now better prepared for those minutes.
The University of Namibia, in collaboration with Idaho State University in the United States, hosted a two-day hands-on workshop in Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) and Helping Babies Breathe at its Katima Mulilo Campus. All 24 participants were certified as ALSO health providers.
Using mannequin-based simulations, the training targets the leading causes of maternal and newborn deaths in Namibia.
Dr. Sara Tiggelaar, Director of Maternal Child Health at Idaho State University, explained that the training uses practical, hands-on methods to help participants better understand and retain the skills and knowledge needed. A grant from Dr. Rebecca Kenny, a family doctor who studied at Idaho State University, helped fund mannequins and the training.
Training Namibia’s own trainers
Two UNAM midwifery lecturers, Ms. Ingenesia Tjiurutue and Ms. Helena Nuumbosho, were certified as ALSO instructors, bringing to six the number of midwifery faculty members who can sustain ALSO training in Namibia.
“Becoming instructors means this training no longer depends on visitors. We can now teach these life-saving skills to our midwifery students and to health workers in the regions ourselves,” said Ms. Tjiurutue.
“Our students will enter the profession already knowing how to respond when a mother or a newborn is in danger,” added Ms. Nuumbosho.
Hon. Dorothy Kabula, Governor of the Zambezi Region, called on all stakeholders to back the programme. “This workshop is one of the governmental efforts to reduce the maternal death rate in the country, and maternal death is preventable when our mothers are provided with care by skilled health professionals,” she stressed. “I call upon stakeholders nationwide to support the healthcare sector in purchasing models that are needed in order to capacitate our health professionals.”
Ms. Adelin Kundumo, Chief Registered Nurse for the Kavango West Region, cautioned that although valuable skills were acquired, teaching and practising them with others would remain a challenge because of a lack of training equipment and materials.
Ms. Ester Matongo, Acting Director of Katima Mulilo State Hospital, urged participants to apply their skills at work and pass them on to nurses countrywide to ensure that no life is lost. Noting that health centres are not up to standard for childbirth, she encouraged mothers to use the hospital’s maternal waiting shelter.
The workshop took place on 03 and 04 June 2026 in the Multipurpose Hall of UNAM’s Katima Mulilo Campus. With its own certified instructors, UNAM can now keep ALSO training going in Namibia long after the visiting team has left.
