The Surabaya Ministry of Health Polytechnic of Health Goes Global: Becomes the First Pilot Project for UNFPA and KOICA in Strengthening the ICM Midwifery Curriculum

SURABAYA. The Surabaya Polytechnic of Health, Ministry of Health, has been appointed as the first pilot project by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for the 2026 Internal Capacity Building Program of the Indonesian Ministry of Health Polytechnic of Health in the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) Standards-Based Curriculum Review.

The event, which took place from August 19-21, 2026, was implemented as a hybrid program, with the center of activities taking place at the Integrated Laboratory of the Surabaya Ministry of Health Polytechnic of Health. This international program is the result of a collaborative effort within the Project SPEED Indonesia framework involving UNFPA, KOICA, and the Directorate General of Human Resources for Health (Ditjen SDMK) of the Indonesian Ministry of Health.

Through this program, internal capacity building focused on reviewing and mapping gaps (gap analysis) between the existing curriculum of the Applied Undergraduate Midwifery Study Program and Midwifery Professional Education with the ICM international competency standards-based curriculum framework.

In his opening remarks, the Director of the Surabaya Polytechnic of Health of the Ministry of Health emphasized the importance of improving the midwifery curriculum to address maternal and child health challenges in Indonesia, particularly in reducing the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR).

"Midwives are the backbone and frontline of maternal and neonatal health services. Therefore, the quality of midwife graduates from the Ministry of Health's Polytechnic of Health is highly determined by the quality of the education and curriculum we implement. The results of this workshop are expected to produce midwife graduates who are responsive, competent, and ready to provide global-standard services for the safety of Indonesian mothers and children," he emphasized.

This activity was also attended by the Director of Human Resources Provision of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Ika Trisia, MKM; the Chair of the Midwifery College, Gita Nirmala Sari, SST, M.Keb, Ph.D; a representative from UNFPA, Dr. Elvira Liyanto; as well as the leadership of the Ministry of Health Polytechnic of Health, curriculum experts, and administrators of the Indonesian Midwives Association (IBI).

The appointment as the First Pilot Project for UNFPA and KOICA is a clear demonstration of the Ministry of Health Polytechnic of Surabaya's commitment to realizing its vision as a reference center for higher education in health that upholds morality and integrity with global quality excellence.