African leaders led by former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete have called for reforms to recognise the role played by midwives in maternal health.
Skilled and educated midwives can provide 87 per cent of essential healthcare needed during pregnancy and following birth - even in low resource settings.
It is estimated that through their intervention, 56 per cent of maternal, fetal, and newborn deaths could be prevented – a million lives each year.
However, urgent global policy reform and recognition of the profession by governments and donors is needed to help midwives achieve this.
The International Confederation of Midwives goodwill ambassador and head of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa
Toyin Saraki
said:
“The impact of skilled and educated midwifery is all around us. Still, the global shortage of midwives amounts to 350,000 and the gap between those who have access to the life-saving care midwives provide and those who do not is enormous. This needs to change immediately with the provision of increased funding, education and regulation that supports midwives, no matter where they are. ”
Kenya has a shortage of 180,000 midwives with Mandera County leading in the deficit, chairman of the Midwives Chapter of the National Nurses Association of Kenya, Louisa Muteti, says.
Muteti says currently, Kenya has about 2,500 midwife nurses about 70 of whom have specialised in midwifery.
She says some of the nurses trained in midwifery have opted to work abroad where the pay is more attractive.
Tanzanian President, Dr Jakaya Kikwete echoed similar sentiments at at this week's
high-level health forum to address the global state of midwifery.
“The statistics we have are frightening, saddening and surprising. They are frightening because the number of mothers and children dying are huge. They are saddening because no mother is supposed to die for giving life to another human being. Also, that pregnancy and childbirth should be moments of celebration and not moments of grief," he said.
The high-level forum brought together government representatives, heads of agencies and global advocates to identify ways to address the global state of midwifery.
The forum was hosted by the International Confederation of Midwives as part of their 31st Triennial Congress, a flagship event for midwives which took place in Toronto this week.
In her closing remarks, ICM boss Sally Pairman said: “Our organisation represents more than 500,000 midwives in 113 countries who wake up every day and perform their life-saving role with so much dedication and passion despite the lack of support and recognition they receive. For their sake, and the sake of millions worldwide, it is time we changed that.”
The high-level forum also heard from a rich selection of government representatives, experts and organisations in the field of midwifery and global health including the United Nations Population’s Fund, Johnson and Johnson, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Global Affairs and many others.