confi rmation of pregnancy, through to the fi rst 2 years of the
baby’s life, by building a network of primary care services for
women and children, including 280 midwifery-led birth centres.
The Ministry of Health has launched the National Residency
Program in Nursing and Midwifery, a federal government
initiative to encourage higher-education institutions to promote
the training of professionals with expertise in midwifery and
nursing to work in the public health system. The initiative aims to
enhance the role of midwifery and nursing to provide
comprehensive health care of women and children, from the
confi rmation of pregnancy, to childbirth, post partum, and until
the second year of the child’s life.