Investing in midwives to save mothers and babies

Midwives are one of the strongest pillars of any nation’s health system.

They provide 90 per cent of essential  sexual,  reproductive,  maternal,  and  newborn  health  services,  including  family  planning.

They also support survivors of gender-based violence.

Oftentimes,  midwives  put  themselves  at  enormous  risk  when  they  venture  out  to  provide  care  to women and girls in hard-to-reach homes and communities in crisis settings.

They often travel across the most remote and dangerous terrain, for instance, across rivers and water bodies on boats to ensure the provision of essential services that save lives and safeguard health and human rights.

Even when floods  wash  away  roads  and  homes,  where  services  are  severed  and  infrastructure  has  collapsed, midwives are often the first responders and the last line of defence.

Effective deployment of midwives is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce preventable maternal deaths and to respond during a crisis.

Yet,  midwifery  is  still  not  always  recognised  as  the  vital  health  profession  it  is.

In  most decision-making structures  and  processes,  the  voice  and  representation  of  midwives  is  absent.

Chronic underinvestment  in  midwifery  has  translated to inadequate  training,  alack  of  infrastructure  and supplies, and low salaries,barriers that are present in times of stability and only grow worse in times of  crisis.

Globally, there  is a  shortage  of  nearly 1 million  midwives  in  the  face  of  trying  to  end preventable maternal deaths once and for all. 

Funding cuts

Recent  severe  funding  cuts  to  humanitarian  assistance  threaten  to  widen  these  gaps,  with  tragic impacts on women and girls in some of the world’s most challenging places.

Already, midwives are reporting rising death rates among women and newborns in conflict zones and fragile contexts — an ominous sign in settings where over 60 per cent of global maternal deaths are reported.

To promote quality midwifery education and bridge the gap between theory and practice in Ghana, the UNFPA Ghana is supporting the implementation of the Midwifery Centres of Excellence to equip selected midwifery schools and practice areas to attain international standards. 

The Korle Bu Nursing and  Midwifery  Training  College  and  the  Kwame  Nkrumah  University  of  Science  and  Technology Midwifery Schools have been selected as the initial sites for the Centres of Excellence.

Again,  UNFPA  Ghana  is  supporting  the  sites  with  faculty  capacity  development,  establishment  of leadership and governance structures, and equipment this year.

Working with the Ministry of Health, UNFPA  Ghana has  supported  the  development, launch and dissemination  of the  3rd  Nursing  and Midwifery   Strategic  Plan   (2024–2028),   which   outlines   a   comprehensive   roadmap   for   the development of the nursing and midwifery professions over the coming years.

Capacity

In  2024,  UNFPA  strengthened  the  capacity  of  120  midwives  in  emergency  obstetric  and  newborn care  (EmONC),  enhancing  the  quality  of  maternal  and  newborn  services  across  the  Networks  of Practice.

UNFPA also strengthened technical and financial support towards the capacity development of 60 midwives and community health officers in Long-acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARC).

The UNFPA Country Representative in Ghana, Dr Wilfred Ochan, has highlighted the urgent need to  strengthen  midwifery to protect  women,  families,  and  communities  from  preventable  maternal deaths.

“By investing in midwives, we make women and entire communities less vulnerable and better prepared to plan for their families and recover from crises,” he said.

He  called  on  governments  and  development  partners  to  join  forces  with  UNFPA  and  its  partners through  the  Midwifery  Accelerator  initiative.

“Together,  we  must  increase  financial  and programmatic investments in midwives and the systems that support them, because every mother and newborn deserve a safe birth, and every investment we make today saves lives tomorrow,” Dr Ochan added.

Midwives save lives. Let us work together to end the global shortage of nearly one million midwives and  to  ensure  that  we  can  end  preventable  maternal  deaths  once  and  for  all.

Let  us  work  towards creating the space for the voice,  representation and participation of midwives on decision-making tables. Let us work towards a common midwifery agenda by facilitating the unification of midwifery associations.

This article is by UNDP