UNFPA launches first ever state of World’s Midwifery Report 

UNFPA launches first ever state of World’s Midwifery Report
Helen Shok Jok, Abuja

The first report to explore the state of midwifery practices across the globe, tagged “the State of the World’s Midwifery 2011: Delivering Health, Saving Lives,” has been launched in Durban, South Africa.

The report provides new information and data gathered from 58 countries across all regions and aims at strengthening the practice of midwifery around the world.

It revealed new data and country facts to support key findings about the reality of the critical shortage of midwives, the best analysis of the number of lives that could be saved if the gap were closed, why midwives’ skills and competencies are critical to achieving Millennium Development Goals 4, 5 and 6, what should happen next and the reason to show care.

It was also a stock taking exercise and documentation of  the situation in countries with high maternal mortality and newborn deaths and contributes to the implementation of the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health.

Details of the report indicated that up to 3.6 million deaths could be avoided each year in 58 developing countries if midwifery services are upgraded by 2015.    
      
The Durban congress  

The State of the World’s Midwifery 2011, launched at the Triennial Congress of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), which just ended in Durban, South Africa, unveils new data confirming there is a significant gap between the number of midwives practicing and those needed to save lives.

In his forward to the report, United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, said: “Ensuring that every woman and her newborn have access to quality midwifery services demands that we take bold steps to build on what we have achieved so far across communities, countries, regions and the world,”.

Each year, according to the report, 358,000 women die while pregnant or giving birth, about two million newborns die within the first 24 hours of life and there are 2.6 million stillbirths, all because of inadequate or insufficient health care.

In his own words, Executive Director United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin said “The report points to an urgent need to train more health workers with midwifery skills and ensure equitable access to their life-saving services in communities to improve the health of women and children.”

Unless an additional 112,000 midwives are trained, deployed and retained in supportive environments, 38 of 58 countries surveyed, might not meet their target to achieve 95 per cent coverage of births by skilled attendants by 2015, as required by Millennium Development Goal 5, on maternal health.

Globally, 350,000 midwives are still lacking but If adequate facilities were accessible to deal with complications at their onset, many deaths could be averted, 61 per cent or nearly two thirds of all maternal deaths, 49 per cent or almost half of stillbirths, and 60 per cent or three in five newborn deaths.

The report adds that, if midwives are in place and can refer the most severe complications to specialized care; up to 90 per cent of maternal deaths could be prevented.

The State of the World’s Midwifery 2011, coordinated by UNFPA, is the result of collaboration among 30 partners, whose collective aim is to strengthen midwifery practices to prevent maternal death and disability and improve the health of newborns, families, and entire communities.

The report surveyed 58 countries, which together account for just under 60 per cent of all births worldwide, but 91 per cent of all maternal deaths.

Among the 38 countries most desperately in need of midwives, 22 need to double the workforce by 2015; seven need to triple or quadruple it; and nine (Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Guinea, Haiti, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Sudan) need to dramatically scale up midwifery by a factor of between six and 15.

Creating quality midwifery

President of the International Conference of Midwives (ICM), Bridget Lynch said: “This report clearly identifies the need to create a competent, active midwifery workforce, working as a key part of an effective health-care system. In addition, ICM’s new global standards for midwifery education and regulation will assist governments and policy makers to address the report’s recommendations.”  

Increasing women’s access to quality midwifery has become a focus of global efforts to realize the right of every woman to the best possible health care during pregnancy and childbirth. It is also at the heart of three health-related Millennium Development Goals –to reduce child death (MDG 4), improve maternal health (MDG 5) and fight AIDS, malaria and other diseases (MDG6).

In addition to inadequate numbers of midwives, the report reveals that coverage within countries is unequal, as is quality but here was a shortage of training institutions and employment opportunities for midwives.

Poor regulation, weak professional associations, an incomplete policy environment, and the omission of midwifery from human resource costing plans for maternal and neonatal health are significant challenges.

Williams