School of Professional Midwifery
In the 1980s, a group of aging traditional midwives from rural areas in the state of Guanajuato approached CASA to seek instruction on advanced midwifery skills and to find a way to help young women study professional midwifery. After years of negotiations with the government, in 1996, CASA opened the first and only government-accredited midwifery school in Mexico. The three-year curriculum includes a mix of modern medicine, anatomy, obstetrics, gynecology, familiarization with surgery, contraceptive methods, family planning, and common diseases, combined with the traditional wisdom of the ancient practice of midwifery. During their training, students work side by side with traditional midwives in various rural communities around Mexico.
The Midwifery School has a strong commitment to making scholarships available. The majority of these scholarships are earmarked for young women from rural and underserved communities, especially for the daughters of traditional midwives. All scholarship recipients must demonstrate a strong desire to continue serving their local communities.
The CASA Midwifery School and Hospital have been cited by World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the International Confederation of Midwives as a successful and replicable model for the developing world. CASA is advising other states in Mexico and the government of Guatemala in opening similar schools. Visit our news section for articles about the program.
Testimonial
“With my last pregnancy they told me that I had to have a C-section because I was carrying twins. But my community midwife told me to come to CASA to see the midwife Antonia. With the clear explanation, courage and confidence that she gave me, I could wait for my natural birth. Happily, I had my natural birth with the help of the CASA midwives.”
How you can help:
$150,000 Build and new school & dormitory
$50,000 Equip and run a teaching clinic for one year
$3,500 Scholarship for a student for one year
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Achievements:
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38 graduates as of 2008
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9 generations of graduates
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Students have come from the states of Chiapas, Veracruz, Querétaro, Distrito Federal, San Luis Potosí, Colima, Guerrero; and from Guatemala and Germany.
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CASA Midwifery School graduates worked with the Secretary of Health in State of San Luis Potosi on a project to reduce maternal mortality rates, the success of which won a national commendation award.
Evaluations
In 2006, the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico (INSP) and the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences of the University of California San Francisco evaluated the curriculum of the largest school of medicine, the school of nursing and obstetrics and CASA’s School of Midwifery.
They concluded that CASA’s curriculum prepared their students in 85% of the 233 evaluated variables, recommended by the World Health Organization for a qualified birth attendant, in comparison with 45% for the school of medicine and 54% for the school of nursing.
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