The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has warned of a global shortfall of nearly one million midwives, a crisis it says is jeopardising maternal and newborn health, especially in conflict and emergency settings.
The Executive Director of UNFPA, Dr Natalia Kanem, sounded the alarm in a statement marking the International Day of the Midwife, observed annually on May 5. This year’s theme, “Midwives: Critical in Every Crisis,” underscores the vital role midwives play in safeguarding women’s health, particularly during humanitarian emergencies.
Kanem stated that midwives are capable of providing up to 90 per cent of essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, and newborn healthcare services, including family planning and support for survivors of gender-based violence.
“They often risk their own lives to reach women and girls in remote or crisis-hit areas,” she said, adding that midwives remain underappreciated, especially during emergencies.
She blamed chronic underinvestment for the worsening shortage, citing issues such as insufficient training, weak infrastructure, lack of supplies, and poor remuneration.
Kanem warned that women in humanitarian settings are twice as likely to die in childbirth, stressing that deploying midwives in both emergency and national disaster responses is a cost-effective way to save lives.
She also expressed concern over recent cuts to humanitarian aid, which she said could deepen existing gaps in care and have devastating effects on the world’s most vulnerable populations.
“Midwives are already reporting rising death rates among women and newborns in conflict zones – a disturbing trend in areas that account for more than 60 per cent of global maternal deaths,” she noted.
According to Kanem, investing in midwifery could prevent two-thirds of maternal and newborn deaths, while also delivering economic and social benefits such as reduced healthcare costs and a more resilient workforce.
She urged governments and donors to support UNFPA’s Midwifery Accelerator initiative to boost funding and programme delivery before more lives are lost.
The International Day of the Midwife was launched in 1992 by the International Confederation of Midwives to honour the profession and raise awareness of its impact.
(NAN)