The Impact of the SWIFT-M Training on Emergency Caesarean Section Rates and Perinatal Outcomes: A Tale of Two Cities

Background: Maternal and perinatal outcomes in both resource-rich and resource-limited healthcare settings depend on patient factors, socio-economic and cultural factors, presence of co-morbidities and timely access to care providers. However, one of the most important variables is the knowledge, skills and competencies of healthcare personnel in recognizing deviations from normal, and then, taking timely and appropriate actions to optimize maternal and perinatal outcomes. In the United Kingdom, despite obstetricians and midwives being mandated to attend a nationally recommended training programme, repeated Each Baby Counts Reports produced by the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG) has highlighted that substandard care contributed to more than 70% of intrapartum-related deaths and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), and the Confidential Inquiries into maternal deaths has highlighted substandard care was responsible for approximately half of all maternal deaths in the United Kingdom. Objective: To determine the impact of the SWIFT-M Training Prograame on the rates of emergency caesarean sections and perinatal outcomes after 12 months of commencing training in two cities in the United Arab Emirates. Methodology: The SWIFT-M (Skills-based, Woman & Baby-centered, Innovative. Focused. and Transformational-Multi-professional) Maternity Training Programme was introduced in the United Arab Emirates in February 2025. Midwives, labour ward nurses and obstetricians were trained on SWIFT-M. Outcomes were analysed in two cities by an independent external clinical audit team. Results: The rate of caesarean sections was 50% lower, and there was an approximately a 50% reduction in the hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), neonatal and perinatal mortality rates after 12 months of training staff on SWIFT-M training programme and the introduction of novel tools. Conclusion: There was a demonstrable reduction in the rate of caesarean sections, and the rates of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), neonatal and perinatal mortality rates after 12 months of SWIFT-M training.