Stronger together: midwifery twinning between Tanzania and Canada

Rachel Sandwell,Amelie Moritz,Deborah Bonser,Katrina Kilroy,Agnes Mtawa,Feddy Mwanga,Anne Wilson,Sebalda Leshabari,Emmanuelle Hebert

doi:10.1186/s12992-018-0442-x

Abstract

This article describes a twinning relationship between the Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM) and the Tanzania Midwives Association (TAMA). It argues that the twinning relationship strengthened both associations. The article briefly reviews the existing literature on professional associations and association strengthening to demonstrate that professional associations are a vital tool for improving the performance of healthcare workers and increasing their capacity to contribute to national and international policy-making. It then suggests that midwifery associations are particularly significant given the frequent professional marginalization of midwives. The article then describes in depth the relationship between CAM and TAMA, highlighting the accomplishments of the twinned partners, and analyzing the factors that contributed to the success of the relationship. The findings demonstrate that twinning can successfully strengthen associations, increasing their ability to support their membership, care for the public, and shape national policy-making. The article therefore proposes twinning as a successful and cost-effective model for encouraging the growth of the midwifery profession.

Highlights

Why twinning Twinning has been defined as a “cross-cultural, reciprocal process where two groups of people work together to achieve joint goals” [11]
This article describes and evaluates one twinning relationship between two midwifery associations, the Tanzania Midwives Association (TAMA) and the Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM), to argue that association twinning can be a powerful tool to strengthen the midwifery profession in different national contexts, with varying healthcare challenges and professional needs
What made Umoja succeed? What accounts for the durability and longevity of the twinning relationship between these two associations? Given the benefits the relationship has yielded for both partners, it is useful to understand what particular factors contributed to its success

Summary

Background

This article describes and evaluates one twinning relationship between two midwifery associations, the Tanzania Midwives Association (TAMA) and the Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM), to argue that association twinning can be a powerful tool to strengthen the midwifery profession in different national contexts, with varying healthcare challenges and professional needs. The article first introduces the current global maternal and reproductive health context, with particular attention to the contributions midwives can make to improving health outcomes It discusses the roles professional associations can play in supporting access to quality reproductive healthcare. Members of these associations have outlined a vision for a role for associations beyond merely sites for sharing knowledge inside the profession Instead, they have argued, professional associations can contribute directly to improvements in health care, through offering professional expertise to guide governmental decision-making about maternal and reproductive healthcare [23]. This article examines one successful twinning relationship to analyze how and why it worked, and what benefits it provided

Main text

Discussion

Findings

Conclusion

A Woman’s Right to Health