One thousand babies will be born safely in the Philippines with help from a delivery of 20 Midwife Kits to skilled midwives working in typhoon-affected areas.

In collaboration with the Integrated Midwives Association of the Philippines (IMAP), Direct Relief has placed the kits at birthing centers throughout the Visayas that were directly affected by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) and are providing free medical services to pregnant women in need.

Direct Relief Midwife Kits contain everything a midwife needs to deliver 50 babies safely and will be restocked as needed.  Without access to critical supplies and equipment, midwives are not able to fully implement their life-saving skills.

Fifteen of the kits were supplied to IMAP, two kits were hand-delivered to Robin Lim’s medical camp at Bumi Wadah in Dulag (who oversee almost 100 childbirths a month), and another three will be sent to the hard-hit area of Concepcion where Direct Relief has completed the reconstruction of two health centers.

Joy Abuyabor, National IMAP Liaison at Seven Angels birthing home in Palo, Philippines welcomed the supplies in an emotional ceremony with IMAP Midwives who had traveled from all parts of Leyte to be a part of the momentous occasion.

Direct Relief will continue to work closely with midwives in the Philippines to ensure that mothers and children have access to quality healthcare. More kits will be delivered this year to the Philippines as well as Sierra Leone and Somaliland.