The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) has recognized Laos as the first nation in Southeast Asia for midwifery education under the Midwifery Education Accreditation Programme, according to health officials (MEAP).
The program analyzes the best practices and gaps so that partners and implementers may give high-quality midwifery education more targeted, efficient, and long-lasting support.
The MEAP serves as a standard for midwifery education programs that aim to fulfill global requirements. Evaluation of pre-service midwifery education programs in comparison to the ICM Global Standards is its main objective.
International best practices in midwifery education and accreditation are the foundation of ICM's MEAP.
Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, the minister of health, announced on January 7 that three educational institutes in Laos have received accreditation as centers of excellence for the education of midwives.
This came after a visit to the three institutions, which are the Colleges of Health Sciences in the provinces of Champassak, Luang Prabang, and Xieng Khuang, to appraise them for the second half of 2022.
Only two of the 37 standards set by the International Confederation of Midwives were partially met by the colleges, which only met 35 of them.
The colleges received praise from Dr. Bounfeng for their attempts to achieve international accreditation. They achieved their goal of obtaining MEAP designation after receiving their national accreditation last year.
Since 2009, UNFPA has funded the Lao Midwifery Program in close collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Education and Sports.
In addition to providing support, UNFPA has assisted in bringing promising centers of excellence for midwifery education up to pace with international requirements.
Source: TheStar.com
