The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a call for the expansion of midwifery services, highlighting the life-saving potential of strengthening midwives' role in maternal and newborn care. According to a new publication titled Transitioning to Midwifery Models of Care: A Global Position Paper, scaling up midwifery care could save millions of lives each year while improving women’s overall healthcare experiences.
The report outlines the advantages of midwifery-led care models, where midwives serve as primary healthcare providers for women and newborns during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period. These models are proven to reduce maternal and newborn deaths significantly.
“Empowering and supporting midwives benefits women, babies, and health systems,” said Dr. Anshu Banerjee, WHO Director of Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health. “Investing in midwifery care is an urgently needed and cost-effective solution to save and improve the lives of women and newborns worldwide.”
Life-Saving Potential of Midwifery Care
Recent data indicates that universal access to midwifery care could prevent over 60% of maternal and newborn deaths, potentially saving 4.3 million lives annually by 2035. Even a modest increase of 10% in midwifery coverage could save 1.3 million lives each year.
In addition to preventing deaths, midwifery-led care provides women with better access to emotional support, informed decision-making, and overall satisfaction with their healthcare. Studies have shown that women who receive care from a consistent midwifery team during pregnancy report more positive birth experiences, fewer medical interventions such as episiotomies and forceps, and higher rates of spontaneous vaginal deliveries.
“When midwives are skilled and empowered to provide high-quality, respectful care, they can offer the vital ongoing support that women and newborns need and value,” said Allisyn Moran, Head of Maternal Health at WHO. “Building close and trusted partnerships between women and midwives is critical for improving health outcomes and access to lifesaving care.”
Training, Regulation, and Support Are Crucial
The WHO publication emphasises that expanding midwifery models of care must be supported by high-quality training, proper regulation, and licensing for midwives. Access to essential infrastructure, medical supplies, and support systems are also necessary to ensure that midwives can deliver the highest standard of care. Additionally, midwives need to work within well-functioning interdisciplinary teams, collaborating with nurses, obstetricians, community health workers, and paediatricians.
Midwifery care models offer the greatest impact in low-resource settings, where the majority of maternal and newborn deaths occur. However, the global shortage of midwives—estimated at around 900,000—remains a major barrier. Many midwives face challenges related to pay, education, and working conditions, with midwifery often being one of the lowest-paid roles in healthcare.
Maternal and Newborn Mortality Rates Demand Urgent Action
Globally, an estimated 287,000 women die from pregnancy and childbirth-related complications each year, while 2.3 million babies die within their first month of life, and nearly 2 million more are stillborn. Expanding midwifery services could drastically reduce these figures.
To facilitate the adoption of midwifery models of care, WHO is currently developing a detailed guidance document, set to be released in 2025, that will provide countries with the tools needed to implement these life-saving practices.
A Collaborative Effort for Global Health
The position paper was developed in collaboration with various global health organisations, including the Burnet Institute, the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), UNFPA, UNICEF, and others, with financial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
“On a daily basis, UNFPA sees the transformative effect that midwives have on maternal and newborn health worldwide,” said Julia Bunting, Director of the Programmes Division at UNFPA. “Midwifery models of care are not only lifesaving but also more cost-effective than other alternatives.”
Dr. Sally Pariman, Chief Executive of ICM, added, “When midwives are enabled to work to their full scope of practice, the lives of women and families improve. We encourage countries to implement continuity of midwife care into their health systems as a cost-effective way to improve health and well-being.”
Looking Ahead
The push to expand midwifery care comes at a crucial time as global health systems continue to face challenges in providing adequate maternal and newborn care. The evidence is clear: scaling up midwifery services can save lives and improve the quality of care for millions of women and babies around the world. By investing in midwives and their training, health systems can take a significant step towards reducing maternal and newborn mortality and improving the overall healthcare experience for women globally.
For more information, the full position paper Transitioning to Midwifery Models of Care is available on the WHO website, with further guidance to be released in 2025.
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