By: Patrick N. Mensah, Maryland County.
PLEEBO, Maryland, July 11, 2025 —Health authorities at the Pleebo Health Center have concluded a day-long training for Trained Traditional Midwives (TTMs) across the Pleebo-Sodoken District in Maryland County.
The training is in fulfillment of a week-long campaign, organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which aimed to raise awareness about maternal and newborn health while rallying community leaders, health professionals, and youth advocates to reduce preventable deaths among mothers and infants.
The exercise took place over the weekend at the Pleebo Health Center and brought together more than 20 TTMs from various communities within the district.
The training aimed to provide participants with adequate education on saving lives, encouraging pregnant women to attend regular health facility visits, engaging pregnant women within their communities to address urgent health concerns, and responding to emergency cases through collaboration with effective healthcare workers.
Participants in the (TTMs) were provided with cellphones for easier communication with health facilities, as well as raincoats, bags, and lapas, among other items.
Speaking during the climax of the day-long training, Dr. Shadrick Gono, Chief Medical Officer at the Pleebo Health Center, stated that the training aimed to educate TTMs and other healthcare workers on addressing the challenges they face in their daily duties.
He emphasized that saving the lives of pregnant women during and after childbirth, as well as guiding them throughout pregnancy, is crucial to maintaining Liberia’s growing population.
“It is both our concern and social responsibility to protect mothers and babies,” Dr. Gono pointed out. “We are encouraging all members of TTMs to accompany expectant mothers to clinics and to discourage home births.”
He further assured participants of higher compensation based on the number of pregnant women they refer to health facilities, adding that their focus is on encouraging TTMs to continue promoting professional health services for pregnant women during pregnancy and childbirth.
For their part, participants of the day-long training have lauded the administration of the Pleebo Health Center for the level of education provided.
Gertrude D. Toe, Acting Head of the TTMs in Pleebo-Sodoken District, acknowledged the critical role traditional midwives play despite existing challenges in their communities.
She praised the administration of the Pleebo Health Center, adding that the training has enhanced their skills and knowledge, enabling them to provide better services to the public.
Meanwhile, World Health Organization statistics show that 94% of maternal deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, most of them preventable with access to skilled health services and timely care. -Edited by Othello B. Garblah.
