Online Reporter
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Senior Health Reporter
ZIMBABWE is accelerating the rollout of e-learning across all its midwifery schools, a move expected to transform how nurse-midwives are trained while expanding access to critical maternal health skills.
The initiative, being implemented by the Ministry of Health and Child Care in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) through the Health Resilience Fund, targets all 23 schools of midwifery nationwide as part of efforts to strengthen human resources for health.
UNFPA Programme Analyst, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Ms Rose Katumba, said the programme was designed to scale up pre-service training for midwives, who form the backbone of sexual and reproductive health services.
She noted that nurses and midwives constitute the majority of the healthcare workforce delivering maternal and sexual reproductive health services, making their training critical.
“This e-learning will assist in scaling up training because students become self-directed learners. They can access learning materials from anywhere, including mobile platforms, and interact with educators remotely. Educators are also able to track progress, identify those lagging and provide support,” she said.
Ms Katumba added that the platform also addresses staffing gaps in training institutions.
“In the context of staff attrition, it helps mitigate shortages of tutors. Teaching can be synchronised across schools, with one lecturer delivering lessons to multiple institutions at the same time, as we have seen with lessons being delivered from Sally Mugabe to students here in Gweru,” she said.
At the Gweru Provincial Hospital School of Midwifery, the adoption of e-learning has already changed both teaching and learning experiences.
Tutor Ms Faith Vonai Shavai said the institution had introduced e-learning last year with its 2025 intake, and the impact has been huge.
“With access to the internet, e-learning is supposed to transform the way we operate as nurse educators. We can now teach from the comfort of our homes, offices, or wherever we are. Even when I am at the farm, I can deliver lessons to student midwives,” she said.
She said the flexibility extends to students, who can now learn remotely.
“For students, it means they can learn from the comfort of their homes instead of being here the whole year. They can even write theoretical exams remotely and only come to school for face-to-face interactions during practical assessments,” she said.
Ms Shavai said this flexibility was likely to increase uptake of midwifery training.
A tutor since 2013 after graduating from Chinhoyi University of Technology, she said, she has largely focused on midwifery training and finds the field fulfilling.
“I enjoy midwifery so much because it deals with bringing life into the world and covers many areas within nursing, from community health to maternal and child care. It keeps you learning and sharp,” she said.
She added that the introduction of e-learning has also improved her own teaching methods.
Zimbabwe has been working to strengthen its health workforce amid growing demand for maternal and neonatal services, as well as challenges such as staff shortages and migration of skilled personnel.
The e-learning rollout is expected to complement ongoing efforts to expand training capacity, improve the quality of instruction and ensure a steady pipeline of skilled midwives, particularly in underserved areas.
Health experts say leveraging digital platforms in training could play a crucial role in improving maternal and newborn health outcomes by ensuring more health workers are trained efficiently and consistently across the country.
