Building Effective and Equitable Global Midwifery Collaborations: Research, Education, and Clinical Learning

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Nursing Education
• International Partnerships

Background:

• Historically, global health initiatives have flowed unidirectionally from the Global North to the Global South, often displacing local practices and yielding limited sustainable change.
• This unidirectional model has led to unintended consequences, necessitating a shift towards more equitable and mutually beneficial collaborations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a sustainable, mutually beneficial partnership between Yale School of Nursing and Makerere University College of Health Sciences in Uganda.
• To reduce perinatal mortality in a high-burden area through collaborative midwifery education and research.
• To develop a blueprint for implementing the midwifery model of care in the Global South.

Main Methods:

• Formed a collaborative partnership focused on midwifery education and research.
• Developed an interprofessional clinical rotation program.
• Created a framework for teaching the midwifery model of care.

Main Results:

• Successfully provided midwifery education support, conducted research, and facilitated clinical training.
• Enhanced interprofessional capacity building within local healthcare systems.
• Integrated community health initiatives within local healthcare systems.

Conclusions:

• The partnership yielded significant outputs in education, research, and clinical practice.
• Lessons learned emphasize the importance of multidirectional and equitable global learning collaborations.
• This model can inform future global health partnerships for greater sustainability and impact.