Critical role of midwives in global health crises discussed

The 7th Midwifery Students Symposium was organized by the Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences Midwifery Department as part of International Midwives' Day. The symposium, held with the theme “One Million More Midwives: Strengthening Midwifery in Line with Global Health Goals,” discussed the future of the midwifery profession, global health goals, the climate crisis, the global midwife shortage, and professional digitalization efforts. Information regarding the “Ebebul” application, which aims to help pregnant women easily access midwives, was also shared at the symposium. 

Many academics, sector professionals, and students, including Prof. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Assoc. Prof. Tuğba Yılmaz Esencan, Deputy Dean and Deputy Head of the Midwifery Department, and Assoc. Prof. Ayça Demir Yıldırım, faculty member of the Midwifery Department, attended the symposium held at the Ibn-i Sina Auditorium on the Üsküdar University NP Health Campus.

Prof. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin: “Midwifery is the initial starting point for many professions”

The opening speech of the symposium was delivered by Prof. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin, Dean of the Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences and Head of the Midwifery Department. Ertekin emphasized that midwifery forms the foundation of many healthcare fields and drew attention to the global need for midwives and their critical role in global issues such as the climate crisis. 

Ertekin said; “Midwifery is not just a profession; it forms the starting point for many healthcare fields. The midwifery profession emerged first in many areas of women's health and obstetrics, nursing, and general health, followed by the development of different scientific disciplines. According to 2021 data from the United Nations Population Fund, there is a shortage of approximately 1 million midwives globally. Considering that the world population is about 8.3 billion, the magnitude of this shortage becomes even clearer. Qualified midwifery services play an extremely important role in improving maternal and child health, which is among the global health goals. Midwives also undertake important tasks in reducing the negative effects of climate change on newborn health, leaving a smaller carbon footprint, and promoting environmentally friendly healthcare services. Young people bear a great responsibility to elevate this profession to its rightful place.”

Assoc. Prof. Tuğba Yılmaz Esencan: “Ebebul is highly preferred by pregnant women”

Speaking at the symposium, Assoc. Prof. Tuğba Yılmaz Esencan, Deputy Dean and Deputy Head of the Midwifery Department, explained the development process of the “Ebebul” application, which enables pregnant women to easily reach midwives.

Esencan said; “The Ebebul application was a professional dream of ours. When embarking on this journey, we aimed for a pregnant woman to easily reach her midwife and for the midwife to be able to continue the care process with her pregnant client. We considered how we could use technology in this process. Today, there are many applications available for menstrual cycle or pregnancy tracking. However, these did not offer a direct platform for professional support. To meet this need, we launched Ebebul. Currently, the application has reached a wide user base and is receiving significant interest from pregnant women.”

Assoc. Prof. Ayça Demir Yıldırım: “Our goal is to practice the profession at a professional level”

Assoc. Prof. Ayça Demir Yıldırım, a faculty member of the Midwifery Department, also touched upon the professional goals and future vision of the application. Yıldırım stated; “Our goal is to maintain our profession at a professional level. This application will also make significant contributions to the professionalization process. Our dreams are big, and we are taking steps in that direction. We need you to advance professional development further.”

7 different sessions were held within the scope of the symposium

The symposium, organized under the main theme “One Million More Midwives: Strengthening Midwifery in Line with Global Health Goals,” addressed the following topics:

The first session was held under the title “Impact of the ‘One Million More Midwives’ Theme on Global Maternal and Newborn Health.” Özlem Taplı and Meral Mutlu were the session chairs, while Derya Eser and Sedanur Oral were the presenters. Within the session, Asst. Prof. Günay Arslan delivered a presentation. 

The second session, titled “Inequalities in the Midwifery Profession: Labor Force Disparities and the Role of Geography,” was held. Zeynep Ertaş and Elif Çamcı were the session chairs, while Hayrünnisa Nur Özdemir and Gülperi Aslan were the presenters. Within this scope, Asst. Prof. Burcu Fırat delivered a presentation. 

The third session, titled “From Quantity to Quality in Midwifery Education: Preserving Quality While Training More Midwives,” was conducted. Elif Rabia Eryılmaz and Rümeysa Sap were the session chairs, while Esmanur Körsü, Melike Avcı, and Zehra İldirin were the presenters. Assoc. Prof. Tuğba Yılmaz Esencan made a presentation during the session. 

The fourth session was held under the title “Contribution of One Million More Midwives to Public Health: Preventive Midwifery Services.” Ayşenur Kılıç and Fatma Berra Işıldak were the session chairs, while Rukiye Ünal and Tuğba Ekşi were the presenters. Within this scope, Instructor Didem Kurap Öcebe delivered a presentation.

In the fifth session, titled “Importance of Midwifery Services in Times of Crisis and Disaster: An Evaluation in Light of Global Experiences,” Özlem Baran, Esra Altun, and Pelşin Aydoğdu were the session chairs. Ümran İzci, Nazlı Sarıkaya, and Sema Kılıçarslan were the presenters. Asst. Prof. Arzu Akdemir made a presentation within the session. 

Nergiz Akyüz and Enise Genç were the session chairs for the sixth session, titled “Professional Empowerment and Leadership in Midwifery.” Sıla Erol, Zülal Okur, and Edanur Türk were the presenters. Within this scope, Assoc. Prof. Ayça Demir Yıldırım delivered a presentation. 

In the seventh and final session, titled “Evaluation of the ‘One Million More Midwives’ Goal from a Health Economics Perspective,” Gülan Oduncu and Berivan Taşdemir were the session chairs. Ülkü Dikici and Zeynep Aydın undertook the role of presenters. Within this scope, Meryem Koçaslan Toran delivered a presentation. 

The symposium concluded with a group photo session.