© UNFPA/Tuane Fernandes

International Day of the Midwife

05 May 2023

Global

The single most important factor in stopping preventable maternal and newborn deaths: access to midwives. And yet the world is short of 900,000 of these essential service providers.

Addressing this deficit could prevent two-thirds of maternal and newborn deaths, saving more than 4.3 million lives a year by 2035. What’s necessary now is the political will to expand the ranks and reach of midwives around the world. 

With that in mind, the UNFPA theme for the International Day of the Midwife this year is “Actioning Evidence: Leading the Way to Enhance Quality Midwifery Care Globally.”

As essential service providers, midwives should be fully integrated into health-care systems. Well-trained midwives provide crucial sexual and reproductive health care, protecting health and human dignity for women and their families. Midwife-led care models improve health outcomes, increase patient satisfaction and reduce costs. Through mobile clinics and telemedicine, midwifery services can reach marginalized and remote populations.

Yet these key providers – mostly women –  are often underpaid and undervalued. Strengthening the midwifery workforce calls for investment in education and training, fair wages and a safe, supportive and respectful work environment.

Investing in midwives leads to a world where every pregnancy is wanted and every childbirth is safe. 

UNFPA celebrates and champions midwives for their work that saves and transforms lives. In an estimated 125 countries, UNFPA advances midwifery by strengthening quality education, regulations and workforce policies, and building strong national associations of midwives. 

This year, UNFPA will co-host the fifth Global Midwifery Symposium with the International Confederation of Midwives, the World Health Organization and UNICEF in collaboration with partners, in Cape Town, South Africa, 07–08 May. The event will spotlight key data on investments in midwifery, the progress in recent years, the challenges to strengthening equitable access to quality midwifery, and, most important, strategies and solutions. 

"If every pregnant woman had access to a well-trained, caring midwife, we would be much closer to a world where every childbirth is safe," UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem said in a statement. "Midwives save lives."

 

We use cookies and other identifiers to help improve your online experience. By using our website you agree to this, see our cookie policy

X