Our Maternity Team has launched a new international collaboration with the charity Life for African Mothers, beginning with a midwifery-led mission to Sierra Leone.
Nicola Lovett, Head of Midwifery at the James Paget and Midwifery Advisor to Life for African Mothers, has long supported the charity’s mission to reduce maternal mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. A key focus of the charity’s work is the distribution of Misoprostol, a life-saving medication that helps prevent postpartum haemorrhage, the leading cause of maternal death worldwide.
As part of this partnership, a team of four midwives from the James Paget are travelling to Freetown and Makeni in Sierra Leone to co-host a series of skills-sharing workshops with local midwives and midwifery education champions. The workshops, titled Midwives, Mothers and Misoprostol, will focus on:
- Management of postpartum haemorrhage
- Respectful maternity care
- Neonatal life support
- Reflective practice
The James Paget team includes the Head of Midwifery, a Labour Ward Coordinator, a Practice Development Midwife, and a midwife with a passion for community care. This diverse group brings a wide range of experience and expertise, helping shape the content and delivery of the workshops in collaboration with Sierra Leonean midwife champions.
This initiative has sparked heartfelt engagement across the maternity department. Staff have raised funds through cake sales to provide practical gifts for every attending midwife, including torches and Pinard stethoscopes. Personal items such as soaps and hand creams have also been donated, along with letters and cards from colleagues across the maternity service—creating a meaningful connection between midwives across continents.
Nicola Lovett said: "This is a celebration of midwifery and a powerful opportunity to build lasting friendships and professional connections. As we begin our journey to Sierra Leone, we hope to inspire learning, compassion and solidarity between midwives working in very different contexts, but with the same shared purpose."
This collaboration marks a significant step in global midwifery partnership and reflects the James Paget Maternity Team’s commitment to improving maternal health.