ALERT – Action Leveraging Evidence to reduce perinatal Mortality and morbidity in Sub-Saharan Africa

On June 14, 2024 Ann-Beth Moller successfully defended her doctoral thesis “Midwifery care providers’ competencies in sub-Saharan Africa and global perinatal health outcomes” at Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The defence started with a science presentation by Professor Andrew Weeks, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Liverpool University, United Kingdom. Great and interesting discussion followed between Ann-Beth, Professor Weeks and the examination committee.

The aim of Ann-Beth’sresearch has been to assess midwifery care providers pre-service curricula according to the International Confederation of Midwives International Standards and competencies of midwifery care providers in Benin, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda in order to inform the ALERT project midwifery in-service training packages. Secondly, to assess the burden of perinatal adverse health outcomes focusing on preterm birth and thirdly, to assess the relationship between health workforce densities, and maternal and perinatal health outcomes in the forementioned countries.

Read more on her research project here:

Moller AB, Welsh J, Ayebare E, Chipeta E, Gross MM, Houngbo G, Hounkpatin H, Kandeya B, Mwilike B, Nalwadda G, Petzold M, Sognonvi A, Hanson C. Are midwives ready to provide quality evidence-based care after pre-service training? Curricula assessment in four countries -Benin, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda. PLOS Global Public Health 2022;2(9):e0000605.

Moller AB, Welsh J, Agossou C, Ayebare E, Chipeta E, Dossou JP, Gross MM, Houngbo G, Hounkpatin H, Kandeya B, Mwilike B, Petzold M, Hanson C. Midwifery care providers’ childbirth and immediate newborn care competencies: A cross-sectional study in Benin, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2023;3(6):e0001399.

Access to doctoral thesis:
Midwifery care providers’ competencies in sub-Saharan Africa and global perinatal health outcomes (gu.se)

Main supervisor:
Professor Max Petzold, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for digitalisation and knowledge transfer
University of Gothenburg, Sweden

Co-Supervisors:
Professor Claudia Hanson, Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
Professor Bo Jacobsson, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Dr Amani Siyam, Department of Health Situation and Trend Assessment, World Health Organization, New Delhi, India

Opponent:
Professor Andrew Weeks, International Maternal Health Women’s & Children’s Health, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences University of Liverpool, UK

Examination Board:
Associate professor Malin Bogren, Reproductive and Perinatal Health, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Professor Birgitta Essén, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health; International Maternal and Reproductive Health and Migration, University of Uppsala, Sweden
Professor Dag Thelle, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Sweden