International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) 29th Triennial Conference, Durban, South Africa, 19–23 June 2011

Abstract

South Africa (SOMSA) are to be co event. With no organisational office This is the first time that the ICM Triennial Conference has been held in Africa and the hosts, the Society of Midwives of ngratulated on this excellent they produced a conference for 3,500 participants from 109 countries. The scientific programme was well planned and ran smoothly. The social events were inspiring and everyone was so welcoming. The events actually began on the 18 June when 1,000 midwives marched along the beach front of Durban, demonstrating to South Africa, Africa and the World the visibility of midwives. The conference theme was ‘Midwives tackling the ‘Big 5’ globally’. In Africa the phrase ‘Big 5’ usually refers to their animals—African Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Leopard, Lion and Rhinocerous. This was a clever link to the ‘Big 5’ for midwives – haemorrhage, obstructed labour, hypertensive diseases, including pre eclampsia and eclampsia, sepsis, and abortion—the major causes of maternal mortality. Because of the number of presentations – plenary papers, symposia, concurrent sessions, workshops, partner panels and not forgetting the 80þ posters – it is impossible to give a comprehensive report on all that occurred. What follows is a personal report, because the attended sessions were chosen for personal reasons. There was a Plenary session each day and Bridget Lynch, President of ICM, got the programme off to an excellent start with a battle cry to midwives – we must be autonomous; we must stop hiding behind the term ‘skilled birth attendants’; we must represent and educate midwives ourselves – not leave it to others; we must define the scope of practice of midwifery ourselves – not leave it to others; and we must regulate midwifery ourselves – not leave it to others. In discussing these points she pointed participants to the ICM web site (www.internationalmidwives.org) where the ICM Global Standards for Midwifery Education, Global Standards for Midwifery Regulation, Global Standards for Basic Midwifery Competence are among the tools that are published. The Standards for Education, Competence and Regulation have been accepted by WHO so countries will be required to adhere to them. Continuing, Bridget stated that clean water and food are basic human rights that women should have, and as a basic