[Implementation of midwifery school accreditation mechanisms in Ivory Coast, Mali and Chad.]

One strategy to improve quality of care to eliminate preventable maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity is to improve the training of health professionals, particularly midwives. Accreditation is a mechanism designed to reinforce education programmes and institutional capacities, using a situation analysis based on predefined criteria for decision-making. This paper describes the ongoing efforts of three Francophone African countries, Ivory Coast, Mali and Chad, to establish accreditation mechanisms of midwifery schools and to describe the necessary steps to implement these measures. Political will to support and regulate this sector, adoption of the License-Master-Doctorate (LMD) system, private sector support and an independent national accreditation commission are critical components.