UN highlights role of midwives in achieving development targets

The United Nations on Thursday highlighted the role of midwives in achieving development targets as some 300,000 women still die every year during pregnancy and childbirth and almost 3 million babies do not survive their first four weeks of life.

Yet a majority of these deaths could be averted by trained midwives, the world organization said as it marked the International Day of the Midwife with a call for strengthened skills and investments in midwifery.

"Midwives are our heroes and the backbone of sexual and reproductive health. Let us support them and the women and newborns at the heart of their care," said Babatunde Osotimehin, the executive director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

Saluting the contribution of midwives to saving the lives of women, adolescent girls and newborns, sometimes under very difficult circumstances, Osotimehin said that midwives are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

SDGs were approved by world leaders in September last year to serve as the blueprint for the global development efforts for the next 15 years.

"Well-trained and supported midwives working in communities are uniquely positioned to provide the compassionate, respectful and culturally sensitive care a woman needs during pregnancy and childbirth," he said.

"Midwifery is equally important for newborns during the critical first month of life, and is a significant contribution to sexual and reproductive health in general," the executive director said.

The International Day of the Midwife is observed annually around the world on May 5. This year's theme is Women and Newborns: The Heart of Midwifery.

The UNFPA chief noted that while in the past 25 years, the world has almost halved maternal deaths, the vast majority of these largely preventable deaths take place in developing and crisis-affected countries.

"If deployed in larger numbers, trained midwives could avert approximately two thirds of these deaths. Significant investments in midwifery are essential if the world is to achieve its ambitious goals of reducing maternal and newborn deaths," Osotimehin said.

For its part, UNFPA is helping to train and support thousands of midwives in more than 100 countries.

Meanwhile, the executive director also highlighted a recent survey estimating that in 57 of these countries, the agency has trained 66,000 midwives over the past seven years.

"These critical health-care providers can help more than 11 million women give birth safely each year, but much more needs to be done," he said.

"On this International Day of the Midwife, we at UNFPA renew our commitment to working with global partners and countries to strengthen midwifery skills and capacities," he said.

"We call on countries to acclaim and reward midwives who are working in challenging and hard-to-reach areas, where their services are most needed," he added. "We also urge countries to invest in quality training, good working conditions, decent salaries, adequate workforce policies and possibilities for professional growth." Endit