The Somali Research and Development Institute (SORDI) recently participated in the ICM Regional Conference held in Kigali, Rwanda, from September 24-26, 2024. This conference focused on midwifery and healthcare advancement, providing our team with an invaluable opportunity to engage in a series of interactive sessions aimed at addressing critical healthcare issues, particularly the strengthening of the Midwifery Association.

During the first three days of the conference, we attended enlightening sessions that allowed for meaningful interactions with various stakeholders in midwifery and healthcare. A significant highlight was our active participation in poster presentations during the first two days. Our well-designed poster featured a QR code, enabling attendees to access detailed information about our ongoing research and achievements. This innovative approach generated considerable interest, leading to numerous questions and commendations for our work, while also facilitating new connections with individuals eager to learn more about our initiatives.

We also had the opportunity to meet with a team from the Maternity Foundation, who introduced us to their Safe Delivery App. This application includes animated instructional videos and practical procedure descriptions aimed at enhancing childbirth safety. We explored how we could leverage this app to train our research participants, particularly recent graduates from midwifery programs, thereby enhancing their motivation and engagement in our research efforts.

A visit to the Rwandan Ministry of Health further enriched our experience. We learned about their remarkable journey in overcoming the aftermath of the genocide, highlighted by a comprehensive presentation on healthcare transitions over the past 20 years. Their resilience and strategic initiatives serve as a model for effective post-crisis healthcare recovery.The final three days of our trip were dedicated to collaborative work with teams from Johns Hopkins University and colleagues from Nigeria. We focused on analyzing quantitative cohort data collected last year under WS4, making substantial progress in drafting our research paper, which we aim to finalize soon.Overall, our participation in the ICM Regional Conference not only strengthened our professional networks but also set a solid foundation for future academic contributions in midwifery and healthcare advancement.