Midwife
Afghanistan
- Organization: IRC - International Rescue Committee
- Location: Afghanistan
- Grade: Junior level - Junior
-
Occupational Groups:
- Public Health and Health Service
- Medical Practitioners
- Sexual and reproductive health
- Closing Date: 2025-10-13
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
Main Purpose of the Job:
The BeMONC Center Midwife is responsible for providing 24/7 Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BeMONC) services at the Center. As a maternity care provider, the midwife takes primary responsibility for delivering round-the-clock care to women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period. She ensures safe delivery practices, manages obstetric and neonatal emergencies, strengthens the referral system, and maintains active coordination with Community Health Workers (CHWs) to improve access to reproductive health services throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.
General Duties
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of all services provided, including ANC, PNC, deliveries, referrals, and related activities.
- Prepare and submit regular reports to the supervisor/health facility in a timely manner.
- Adhere strictly to infection prevention and control (IPC) protocols during all aspects of service delivery.
- Properly use, manage, and safeguard midwifery and medical kits, ensuring cleanliness, hygiene, and compliance with infection prevention standards.
Specific Duties:
1. Maternal and Newborn Care
- Provide respectful antenatal care (ANC), including counseling, screening, identification of danger signs, and timely referrals.
- Develop delivery plans and offer counseling on family planning, newborn care, and nutrition.
- Assist in normal deliveries and provide immediate newborn care, including essential resuscitation, while ensuring safe childbirth practices.
- Deliver comprehensive postnatal care (PNC) at 24 hours, 3 days, 7 days, and 42 days after delivery.
- Provide postpartum family planning counseling and distribute family planning commodities as appropriate.
- Promptly identify, stabilize, and refer complicated obstetric and neonatal cases to the nearest higher-level health facility.
- Monitor newborn growth and development while promoting early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding.
- Conduct geographical mapping of BeMONC catchment areas to identify pregnant and lactating women (PLWs), contraceptive users, and recent deliveries.
- Facilitate health education sessions for mothers, families, and communities to promote maternal, newborn, and child health.
- Ensure strict adherence to infection prevention and control (IPC) protocols within the health facility.
2. Community Engagement & Health Education
- Maintain strong coordination and communication with community health workers (CHWs) for referrals, follow up and community awareness
- Conduct regular visits to pregnant and postpartum women.
- Promote birth preparedness and complication readiness.
- Raise awareness about family planning, maternity and child health.
- Participate in community/group meetings to mobilize support for maternal and newborn health services.
- Maintain regular coordination with Health Shuras.
3. Coordination and Reporting
- Coordinate with CHWs, CHSs, and other community structures for maternal and newborn health referrals and services.
Requirements:
- Graduate from a recognized midwifery school (MoPH-approved). Valid registration/certification from Afghanistan midwifery council is preferred.
- Minimum 2 years in maternal and newborn services (probably in BEmONC Health facilities).
- Strong communication and counseling skills, ability to work respectfully with community members.
- Maternal and newborn care, infection prevention, family planning services.
- Strong documentation and reporting ability.
- Pashto and Dari required, English an advantage.
- MS Word, Excel, Access, Internet (preferred).
- Willingness to travel and work in remote/hard-to-reach areas.
Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.