Study Midwifery in Southeast Asia
Women’s Health Cambodia
Women’s Health Cambodia and their sister organization, Life Options, provides pre- and post-natal care and labor support in rural areas of Southern Cambodia. Life Options Clinic combines mobile and on-site services to support village mothers and babies who otherwise have very few resources available during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. They see an average of 46 births per month. By working side by side and understanding the changes communities want to make, Life Options endeavors to bring appropriate people to share their skills and give the village people the opportunity to feel empowered to make the changes. Students at this site will also work as a midwife assistant in the local hospital and will have the unique opportunity to replicate the sustainable model that Women’s Health Cambodia has built on mainland Cambodia by assisting to expand the organization’s services to a new clinic located on the beautiful Island of Koh Rong. There, the participants will work alongside their host organization to bring the Midwives Model of Care to four remote villages for the first time.
Maternal Health and Midwife Training in Cambodia
- There are only 6 midwives per 1,000 live births
- Overall in Cambodia, 32% of births are attended by a skilled professional
- 80% of Cambodia’s population lives in rural areas, where only 20% of births are attended by skilled professionals
- Approximately 2,900 women and girls die each year due to pregnancy-related complications
Maternal health outcomes in Cambodia are poor. The best estimates for Cambodia suggest that approximately 2,900 women and girls die each year due to pregnancy-related complications. Additionally, another 58,000 to 87,000 Cambodian women and girls will suffer from disabilities caused by complications during pregnancy and childbirth each year. (MNPI Cambodia) With 80 percent of its population living in rural areas, Cambodia has made remarkable progress in reducing poverty and improving people’s health in the past decades. Maternal mortality has decreased 58 percent since 1990, but sociocultural and economic factors still prevent women from accessing public health services.
Arranged marriage is the norm in Cambodia. 50% of the female population in rural areas experience domestic violence. Women expect to have about 8 live children and the average child begins working in rice fields, or doing any work that will support the family, at the age of 8. As an extension of poverty, there is a high-risk of “human trafficking”
Answering the Call for Midwives
The world needs more midwives. Our Global Midwife Training Advanced Internships, Midwifery Intensives and 3-Year Midwifery School provide a challenging learning environment intended to train midwives who will be equipped to provide high-quality maternity care in a variety of settings. But we do more than just train midwives. Our service learning model is designed to influence the way student midwives see themselves and their role in the communities they serve, and to develop the skills necessary to become the future leaders of positive change in maternity care. Apply Now.
Learn More
Take a look at our unique approach to midwifery education and international clinical experience. Find out how we integrate service learning into our methodology. Learn more about midwife certification and the Midwives Model of Care, or how our programs can help you to become a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) through NARM. Read inspiring stories about how to become a midwife on our weekly blog. Learn about the state of maternal health worldwide. Share the UNFPA “Call to Action” with your network.
Visit our Midwife Training FAQ or our Tuition and Fees pages for additional program details, or contact us directly to learn how Midwife International can support you to become a global midwife!
