In an effort to reduce the high mortality rate in South Sudan, 20 midwives and seven clinical officers graduated today from Aweil Midwives Training Institute and Maridi Health Training Institute.

The training program was funded by the non-governmental organization Global Mission Partner, with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), UNMISS, the World Health Organization and the state Ministry of Health.

A representative of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Zeena Abdalla, urged graduates to work professionally.

“Don’t let us down. I don’t want to hear that a woman has died at your hands,” she said.  “I swear … that no woman has ever died at my hands when giving birth. So I want all of you to be like that.”

Ms. Abdalla noted that the maternal mortality rate in South Sudan was 2,054 per 100,000 deliveries, the highest in the world. “We are here trying to reduce this rate.”

State Minister of Health Lino Adup Acher, who was also representing the Caretaker Governor, admitted that his ministry lacked medical officials.

 “We have a very big gap in medical cadres and through your efforts we will be able to fill it,” he said. “We will have another opportunity to get more support to train other batches through our donors.”

Graduates trained for periods ranging from two and a half to three years.