CAM 2015 Conference Opens in Montreal
November 04, 2015
Midwives: Supporting Communities in Canada and Around the World
The Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM) opens its 15th Annual Conference and Exhibit tomorrow in Montreal, Quebec. CAM, which represents the profession of midwifery and over 1300 midwives across Canada, is holding its annual conference in Montreal with the theme “Midwives: Supporting Communities in Canada and Around the World”. The conference, along with a recently published position statement on the midwifery model of care, will serve to highlight the value of midwifery within the Canadian context and globally.
“In Canada, midwives work as autonomous primary health care providers that offer choice of birthplace, partnership with women and continuity of care-provider,” states Emmanuelle Hébert, President of the Canadian Association of Midwives. “Our goal in releasing this statement is to outline the basic tenets of midwifery care that we feel must be accessible to all families in Canada.”
Global voices of midwifery and invited guests
The conference opens with a keynote address from Frances Day-Stirk, the President of the International Confederation of Midwives, which represents over 400,000 midwives around the world. Other keynote speakers include Soo Downe, Professor of Midwifery at the University of Central Lancashire, England; Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux, Vice Provost at Lakehead University; and Stéphanie St-Amant, Researcher at McGill University. There will be panel discussions on the Canadian midwifery model of care (morning of Friday, November 6th) and global maternal, newborn and child health (morning of Thursday, November 5th).
Speaking during the Opening Ceremonies at 7pm on Wednesday, November 4th will be Marie Montpetit, member of the National Assembly for Crémazie and Adjointe parlementaire du ministre de la Santé et des Services sociaux; Lorraine Fontaine, President of the Coalition pour la pratique sage-femme au Québec ; Emmanuelle Hébert, President of the Canadian Association of Midwives, Evelyn Harney, co-chair of the National Aboriginal Council of Midwives and Claudia Faille, President of the Regroupement les sages-femmes du Quebec.
“We are asking the government to continue its efforts to expand access to midwifery services and birthing centres so that all women and families in Quebec will be able to choose their place of birth and their care provider “, underscores Claudia Faille, President of the Regroupement les sages-femmes du Quebec (RSFQ). “The government must recognize the value of the midwifery model of care and must improve the working conditions of midwives, so that they may provide the best possible care for women and families.”
CAM looks forward to welcoming midwives, maternity care providers and health researchers from across Canada and around the world, and would like to extend a particularly warm welcome to members of the Quebec health services and medical communities.
For media inquiries:
Eby Heller
Communications Coordinator
Association canadienne des sages-femmes
Cell. : 514 585-2760
NT4
