Strengthening the Regulation of Pre-Service Midwifery Education in Asia-Pacific Region
The ICM, in partnership with the UNFPA Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (APRO), has concluded a successful technical assistance project aimed at strengthening the regulation of pre-service midwifery education across 16 countries in the Asia-Pacific Region. Through a regionally tailored, online course, the project supported midwifery regulators and other participants to align their regulatory mechanisms for pre-service midwifery education with the ICM Global Standards for Regulation.
Background
Despite advancements in pre-service midwifery education across the Asia-Pacific region, including investments in faculty development, simulation-based learning, and infrastructure, the region continues to face significant challenges. These include a proliferation of private institutions prioritising financial outcomes over educational quality, insufficient clinical practice opportunities, and weak regulatory mechanisms.
Midwifery regulators have a vital role in ensuring pre-service midwifery education programmes are aligned with international standards, particularly those set by ICM. Recognising this, UNFPA requested ICM’s technical assistance to strengthen midwifery regulators’ practices regarding pre-service education. The initiative was designed to address gaps in knowledge and implementation, provide a platform for peer learning, and encourage regulators to advocate for and implement stronger systems of oversight for midwifery education.
Contextualising to participants
The course had 34 participants from 16 countries. Flexibility in participant selection supported the inclusion of a range of country contexts where dedicated midwifery regulators may not exist or may only be partially functional. The responsibility for implementing midwifery regulation, where it exists, particularly in relation to pre-service midwifery education, is wide ranging. The participant list reflected this, with 53% of participants being midwifery regulators, 26% educators and 12% member association staff (12%) also attended. Discussions and peer-learning benefited from these diverse professional backgrounds.
In order to ensure contextualisation to the region, case examples from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Lao PDR demonstrated areas of best practice and strengthened regional applicability of the course content.
Course Delivery
The course was delivered online in March to April 2025, the five-units were:
- Introduction to regulation of pre-service midwifery education
- Scope of Practice and ICM’s Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice
- ICM’s Global Standards for Midwifery Education
- Approval and accreditation
- Advocacy and next steps
The 30-hour course included 10 hours of live online sessions which included key-note lectures, group work, quizzes, case study discussions and expert Q&As, encouraging active engagement throughout. Participants were also taught quality improvement (QI) tools which they then applied in live sessions through problem-based learning to a fictitious country before applying their learning to their contexts during self-directed study. Participants submitted their completed QI tools, forming a toolkit they could use post-course. This structure promoted immediate application of learning, enhancing relevance and the longer-term value of the course.
Engagement and Evaluation
Engagement with and evaluation of the course was high, with high average attendance (89%), 96% of participants achieving a pass mark on the post-test and 97% stated they were satisfied with course quality, content relevance, and facilitation in the course evaluation. Open-ended post-test responses revealed that participants could apply the knowledge gained in the course to real-world settings. Many participants proposed actions such as improving competency-based assessments, introducing or strengthening accreditation processes, and initiating collaborations with ministries and clinical facilities. These gains indicate the training was both impactful and accessible.
Thank you for providing such a valuable and well-structured course. It has deepened my understanding of the critical role of regulation in ensuring quality midwifery education. I feel more confident and empowered to advocate for change in my country.
Looking Ahead
This training has laid the foundation for strengthening midwifery regulation across the region. Participants now have the tools and knowledge to influence change within their professional settings. ICM aim to evaluate the course’s long-term impact in 2026, building a clearer picture of its influence on regulatory systems and pre-service midwifery education quality.
As participants begin advocating for improvements in their national contexts, it is hoped that Ministries of Health and Education will partner with UNFPA and ICM to access targeted technical assistance where needed.
The collaboration between ICM and UNFPA APRO is expected to lead to future courses and similar initiatives globally, reinforcing shared goals of high-quality pre-service midwifery education, regulation, and improved maternal and newborn outcomes.
This project represents a significant contribution to strengthening the regulation of pre-service midwifery education in the Asia-Pacific Region. High engagement, strong satisfaction, and actionable learning outcomes highlight the success of the course. ICM acknowledges and thanks UNFPA APRO for their continued partnership and commitment to advancing midwifery regulation, education, and practice in the region and beyond.
Are you interested in strengthening midwifery in your context? Please contact ICM at [email protected] to discuss how we can support.
