IWAG RMNCH COP-UNFPA and ICM--Positioning midwives as front line health care providers in humanitarian contexts
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 2:00 PM-3:00 PM.
Microsoft Teams Meeting
Programmatic Guidance to Position Midwives as Leaders and Frontline Providers in Humanitarian Response: Linking Strategy with Action
https://www.unfpa.org/publications/programmatic-guidance-position-midwiv...
The guidance positions midwives at the centre of humanitarian preparedness, response and recovery. Drawing on global evidence and UNFPA’s extensive operational experience in crisis settings, it outlines how midwives can serve as frontline providers and leaders of sexual and reproductive health services, including implementation of the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for Sexual and Reproductive Health in Crises. Midwives are often among the few health professionals who remain within affected communities during emergencies, providing life-saving care under extremely challenging conditions. The guidance reflects all action that can be undertaken through developpment efforts, ePrep and response to enable midwives to work to their full potential.
Presentation of the MISP midwife competencies - Annexe A of the guidance
UNFPA and the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) propose a consolidated set of competencies for midwives to perform the clinical services needed to implement the four MISP service provision objectives and its other priority action. (Competencies for the two other MISP objectives and non-MISP services are listed in Annex B.) This consolidated competency framework will serve as a practical and actionable tool for midwives and their managers to use, on the ground, to ensure that women and newborns receive essential and life-saving care during crises, when they are in highly vulnerable situations.
We will explain how this was developed and what it can contribute to.
Catrin Schulte-Hillen is a sexual and reproductive health specialist with over 30 years of experience in emergency and post-emergency situations. A large part of her professional path took place in Médecins Sans Frontières where she started in 1989 as a midwife, then coordinator and program manager and in 2002 program director of MSF in New York. Catrin has also worked as a health advisor and consultant on different missions and specific evaluations, for NGOs and the European Commission, in particular ECHO. She has worked mainly in Africa, as well as in Latin America, Southeast Asia and the Balkans.
Prior to assuming the post of SRH in Emergencies Specialist for UNFPA, Catrin served as UNHCR's Reproductive Health and HIV Advisor, and lead the MSF working group for reproductive health and sexual violence care over a period of 7 years.
As part of the program support team of the UNFPA Humanitarian Response Division in Geneva, Catrin provides direct support to field operations and contributes to global dialogue and the development of SRH strategies for emergency response and humanitarian situations generally.
She participates in Inter-Agency efforts for the development of technical and training resources and leads efforts to secure UNFPA's contribution in guidelines specific to humanitarian situations.
Catrin is a registered midwife with a master's degree in public health, a bachelor's degree in applied epidemiology and statistics, and a diploma in business administration.
Frida Temple is a midwife and global sexual and reproductive health specialist currently based at UNFPA Headquarters in Nairobi, where she leads UNFPA’s global work on midwifery. She brings extensive country-level and regional experience from across Africa, Asia and Europe, including work in Rwanda, but also in fragile and humanitarian settings, with a focus on strengthening midwifery, maternal and newborn health, health systems and the quality of sexual and reproductive health services.
Frida is also a PhD candidate at the University of Gothenburg, where her research focuses on the implementation of person-centred care and simulation-based learning in midwifery education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Her work spans policy, programme implementation, education and research, combining global leadership with practical experience of supporting countries to strengthen midwifery services and improve care for women, newborns and families.
Neha Mankani is a midwife and maternal health and climate specialist, and serves as Humanitarian Engagement and Climate Advisor at the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). Based in Pakistan, her work spans global policy and practice, including working directly with climate-affected communities and supporting midwives and maternity services to prepare for and respond to extreme heat, climate change and climate disasters.
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/253198999490898?p=ykBjo6SG0EsN8tHOr4
Meeting ID: 253 198 999 490 898
Passcode: X9XT9HS7