Celebrating midwives on the frontline: Adapting reproductive health services in Azraq Camp

One such midwife is Lara, who works at the UNFPA-supported clinic in Azraq camp, Jordan which is managed by the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

Since 2017, with the support of UNFPA, the IRC has been providing reproductive health services to Syrian refugees in Azraq camp. Lara has been working as a midwife in the camp for nearly five years, and during that time, she has noticed that women often lack the necessary support, especially during the postnatal period.

To address this issue, Lara proposed a new initiative to conduct postnatal care consultations in new mothers' homes. The IRC health team in Azraq began conducting home visits in all camp villages two months ago, and in the first month alone, they made 116 home visits.

This initiative has made a significant difference in the lives of women like Amani, who gave birth five weeks ago and was having a hard time leaving her children at home to visit the clinic. Lara has visited Amani three times since she gave birth, providing postnatal care and family planning services in the comfort of her own home.

In 2022, the IRC provided antenatal, postnatal, and family planning services to over 50,000 women and girls in Azraq camp. Reproductive health providers conducted extensive counseling with their patients concerning family planning, antenatal care, postnatal care, danger signs during pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases.

Lara is passionate about her work and proud to be able to help people in the camp. "I saw the importance of these home visits during the winter and felt proud to spare moms walking in these harsh weather conditions," she says.

On this International Day of the Midwife, let us recognize the incredible work of midwives like Lara and the vital role they play in ensuring the health and well-being of women and girls in crisis-affected settings.