A Moment for Midwives

Past successes and future hopes for the Decade of the Midwife

Edition 2021

"Whenever we talk about resilience, our expectation is that midwives will do well even when they are not provided with the things they need to do well. But in order for them to actually be helpful and do well, we need to give them the enabling environment that they require."

Neha Mankani

Graduate of the ICM Young Midwife Leader Programme (2019 - 2021) and founder of The Mama Baby Fund Pakistan

Foreword 2/12
A MOMENT FOR MIDWIVES
Past successes and future hopes for the Decade of the Midwife
 

This year, in the face of health, political and climate crises, we’ve heard time and again the remarkable stories of midwives continuing to uphold care for women, newborns and communities. In Haiti, midwives worked through the most recent earthquake to provide care, even when dealing with the destruction of their own homes and towns. As reproductive rights were undermined and restricted in places like the United States and Latin America, midwives continued to be at the forefront of the fight for women’s rights to safe and secure choices regarding their reproductive health. And within Afghanistan’s current political climate, midwives continue to put their own lives at risk to care for birthing women.

Alongside these remarkable stories, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continued to overwhelm health systems globally and the incredible commitment to providing care by our global midwife community has been captured in studies exemplifying that midwives’ critical role has not been rightfully acknowledged and in many cases, ignored and undervalued. When midwives and midwifery are deprioritised, women, newborns and the prosperity of future generations suffer.

The COVID-19 vaccine has given many of us the much-needed hope to imagine an end to the pandemic. ICM and UNFPA strongly encourage all midwives and pregnant people to be vaccinated and reiterate the importance of sharing evidence-based education to allow everyone to make healthy choices. Both organisations also call on world leaders to commit to sharing surplus vaccine doses so everyone can experience relief from this pandemic and be safe for the future ahead.

These global events underscore how integral midwives are to protecting and upholding the rights of women and newborns in any setting. As leaders of organisations with global and regional perspectives, we have a responsibility to amplify the voices of all midwives and emphasise why investing in midwives can help us build a more sustainable and equitable future for all. We play a role in showing the world the role midwives play in not only reducing maternal and newborn death, but in fostering healthier, happier families, and ensuring women’s rights are respected and in turn, the rights, respect and autonomy of midwives too.

ICM and UNFPA each have distinct mandates but are bound by a shared and strong commitment to sexual and reproductive health and rights with maternal and newborn health and wellbeing as one of the core elements. Strengthening health systems and service delivery for women and adolescents cannot be done without fully educated and well-supported midwives. We also share the highest respect for the incredible work midwives do across the globe. We feel privileged to work alongside each midwife who is striving to ensure respectful quality midwifery care for the health and wellbeing of women and newborns everywhere.

As you scroll, watch and read through this magazine, we hope you take advantage of this year-end to save space for yourselves and reflect on your everyday efforts to bring healthy and happy lives into this world. Not many people get to go to work and make that claim and it’s this act of commitment to a positive start to a new life that fuels the prosperity of our communities. We are so proud to call ourselves midwives and so proud to work alongside you, our unified global midwife community.

Franka Cadée

President, International Confederation of Midwives (ICM)

Anneka Knutsson

Chief, Sexual and Reproductive Health Branch, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

 

Past successes and future hopes for the Decade of the Midwife
Foreword
Index
2021 Reflections
2021 Key Moments
Midwives & COVID-19
Professional Framework
Midwifery Education
MMH
Dedication
PUSH
Acknowledgements
2021 Reflections 4/12
A MOMENT FOR MIDWIVES
Past successes and future hopes for the Decade of the Midwife
 

ICM’s work couldn’t be done without the support and dedication of our board. Below, we asked them how midwives had inspired them this year. Click on the names to see what they have to say…

Franka Cadée | President

“What inspires me is to see midwives the world over have this creative ability to keep on reinventing themselves despite, or perhaps because of, their common struggle to be recognised for their crucial role in defending the sexual and reproductive rights of women and communities.”

Sandra Oyarzo Torres | Vice President

“Midwives have inspired me this year for their perseverance, courage, dedication and ongoing commitment to maintaining the best quality sexual and reproductive health care for women, girls, adolescents, and their families. But most of all, for the love they give in the practice of their profession."

Vitor Varela | Treasurer

“It was a privilege to work with my colleagues, who have inspired me to ensure the pandemic did not exacerbate inequalities in terms of access to maternal and neonatal health. They worked to make universal care possible for the most disadvantaged, thus preventing the worsening of maternal, perinatal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.”

Ann Kinnear | Board Member West Pacific Region

“Midwives have inspired me by their resilience, their adaptability and innovation in a crisis, be it COVID-19 or war or politics, and their integrity and determination to protect women, babies and families ahead of themselves."

Emi Nurjasmi | Board Member South- East Asia

“Midwives are women's partners and are at the forefront of MCH (Maternal and Child Health) services and Family Planning.”

Fautomata S Maiga Dicko | Board Member Africa Region (Francophone)

“Midwives have played a critical role in improving the wellbeing of our communities, especially for women and children."

Hilma Shikwambi | Board Member Africa Region (Anglophone)

“Midwives inspired me this year by supporting each other via virtual platforms, especially during the difficult moments of dealing with the loss of colleagues, friends and midwife leaders, in the midst of travel and gathering restrictions.”

Lisa Apini-Welcland | Board Member Central Europe

“Even though the pandemic often pushes us to our limits, I see an opportunity for shifting paradigms towards midwife-led models of care. The window is open- let’s move forward together”.

María Florencia Francisconi | Board Member Latin America

“My midwife colleagues have inspired me by standing alongside women, their children, and the communities in which they work - despite the difficulties - providing quality, gender-focused care and respecting their sexual and reproductive rights."

Pandora Hardtman | Board Member America Region (North America and the Caribbean)

“Midwives have inspired me this year in their ability to remain present as they continue to fight for the rights of women and children.”

Dr. Roa Fouad Altaweli | Board Member Eastern Mediterranean Region

"Midwives have inspired me this year through their dedication, love for the midwifery profession during difficult times, and also their care and protection of women and babies”.

Trude Thommesen | Board Member Europe Region (Northern Europe)

"Midwives have stood by women throughout the pandemic, to give them the best care during a particularly difficult time"

Victoria Vivilaki | Board Member Europe Region (Southern Europe)

“Global midwives are inspirational role models for each local community because they invest in empathy for mothers and their families, they vitalise neoteric ideas in their communities and provide a panorama into the future of humanity.”

ICM’s work couldn’t be done without the support and dedication of our board. Below, we asked them how midwives had inspired them this year. Hover over the pictures to see what they have to say…
Victoria Vivilaki

“Global midwives are inspirational role models for each local community because they invest in empathy for mothers and their families, they vitalise neoteric ideas in their communities and provide a panorama into the future of humanity.”

Victoria Vivilaki
Board Member Europe Region (Southern Europe)

Franka Cadée

“What inspires me is to see midwives the world over have this creative ability to keep on reinventing themselves despite, or perhaps because of, their common struggle to be recognised for their crucial role in defending the sexual and reproductive rights of women and communities.”

Franka Cadée
President

Sandra Oyarzo Torres

“Midwives have inspired me this year for their perseverance, courage, dedication and ongoing commitment to maintaining the best quality sexual and reproductive health care for women, girls, adolescents, and their families. But most of all, for the love they give in the practice of their profession."

Sandra Oyarzo Torres
Vice President

Vitor Varela

“It was a privilege to work with my colleagues, who have inspired me to ensure the pandemic did not exacerbate inequalities in terms of access to maternal and neonatal health. They worked to make universal care possible for the most disadvantaged, thus preventing the worsening of maternal, perinatal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.”

Vitor Varela
Treasurer

María Florencia Francisconi

“My midwife colleagues have inspired me by standing alongside women, their children, and the communities in which they work - despite the difficulties - providing quality, gender-focused care and respecting their sexual and reproductive rights."

María Florencia Francisconi
Board Member Latin America

Pandora Hardtman

“Midwives have inspired me this year in their ability to remain present as they continue to fight for the rights of women and children.”

Pandora Hardtman
Board Member America Region (North America and the Caribbean)

Hilma Shikwambi

“Midwives inspired me this year by supporting each other via virtual platforms, especially during the difficult moments of dealing with the loss of colleagues, friends and midwife leaders, in the midst of travel and gathering restrictions.”

Hilma Shikwambi
Board Member Africa Region (Anglophone)

Fautomata S Maiga Dicko

“Midwives have played a critical role in improving the wellbeing of our communities, especially for women and children."

Fautomata S Maiga Dicko
Board Member Africa Region (Francophone)

Lisa Apini-Welcland

“Even though the pandemic often pushes us to our limits, I see an opportunity for shifting paradigms towards midwife-led models of care. The window is open- let’s move forward together”.

Lisa Apini-Welcland
Board Member Central Europe

Trude Thommesen

"Midwives have stood by women throughout the pandemic, to give them the best care during a particularly difficult time"

Trude Thommesen
Board Member Europe Region (Northern Europe)

Dr. Roa Fouad Altaweli

"Midwives have inspired me this year through their dedication, love for the midwifery profession during difficult times, and also their care and protection of women and babies”.

Dr. Roa Fouad Altaweli
Board Member Eastern Mediterranean Region

Emi Nurjasmi

“Midwives are women's partners and are at the forefront of MCH (Maternal and Child Health) services and Family Planning.”

Emi Nurjasmi
Board Member South- East Asia

Ann Kinnear

“Midwives have inspired me by their resilience, their adaptability and innovation in a crisis, be it COVID-19 or war or politics, and their integrity and determination to protect women, babies and families ahead of themselves."

Ann Kinnear
Board Member West Pacific Region

 

2021 Key Moments 5/12
A MOMENT FOR MIDWIVES
Past successes and future hopes for the Decade of the Midwife
 

Launch of ICM’s Strategic Plan 2021 - 2023

January 2021

Building from the impressive work undertaken to date and the 2017-2020 strategic plan, this new three-year strategic plan positions ICM as an expert in creating, advising, influencing and enabling the profession of midwifery globally. It allows us to more effectively deliver on our mission and outlines a vision for the future of midwifery that we believe is aspirational but attainable. The core strategic priorities for 2021-2023 are to:

  • Drive innovation and sustainability for the future of midwifery;
  • Develop, strengthen, and support the rollout of a new professional framework for midwifery; and,
  • Foster a movement for midwifery, enabling and strengthening partnerships, advocacy, and communications for midwifery with women’s voices at the centre.
More

State of the World’s Midwifery Report 2021

May 2021

The International Day of the Midwife was celebrated this year on May 5th with the launch of the State of the World’s Midwifery (SoWMY) 2021 Report produced by UNFPA, ICM and WHO. The report presents findings on the Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Adolescent Health (SRMNAH) workforce from 194 countries, shows the progress and trends and identifies barriers and challenges to future advancement.

  • The long-awaited report gave us key insights into midwifery globally, including:
    • Midwives can provide about 90% of the sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health (SRMNAH) care needed, yet they account for less than 10% of the global SRMNAH workforce.
    • The world needs 900,000 more midwives, mostly in low-income countries and in Africa.
    • At current rates, there will still be a shortage of 750,000 midwives in 2030. Without additional investment, the gap between rich and poor countries is projected to widen by 2030.
  • In key regions and countries, meetings are taking place around the SoWMy findings with discussions on how to use the data to strengthen the quality and availability of midwifery care.
  • Post the launch of the report, ICM and UNFPA have been working collaboratively on key areas, including diversity in education pathways, to ensure the findings can be used in everyday activism of midwives the world over.

 

The 32nd ICM Triennial Congress

June 2021

Throughout June, ICM, with support from UNFPA, brought together more than 2000+ delegates for interactive sessions, virtual networking and an opportunity to contribute to the future of midwifery.

The Congress included more than 170 sessions aimed at providing midwives with knowledge and skills to invigorate their careers and make an impact on their communities. Participants learned about the latest maternal and newborn care research, participated in virtual workshops and partner events, and networked with leaders and colleagues from around the world through a matching program that connected midwives with similar interests.

We’re now looking towards the 33rd ICM Triennial Congress, which will take place in Bali, Indonesia. We’re so excited at the prospect of meeting in person again - find out how you can register here.

 

Giving Voice to the Silent Burden: Maternal Mental Health Technical Consultation

September 2021

The Maternal Mental Health Technical Consultation was hosted by USAID MOMENTUM together with UNFPA and WHO across three days in September. The Technical Consultation was facilitated by global and local Maternal Mental Health (MMH) experts. It allowed members of the maternal, newborn, child health, nutrition, and mental health communities to collaborate and inform the path forward to ensure that pregnant and postpartum women receive the respectful and nurturing mental health care they need and deserve.

This consultation will inform efforts to strengthen the MMH research agenda, implementation approaches, and integration within health programs and services. A commentary on the Technical Consultation and Call to Action will be published soon. Find out more here.

 

WWC 2021 Maternal Mental Health Event Synopsis

October 2021

The Wilson Center’s Maternal Health Initiative, in collaboration with UNFPA, held an online dialogue on perinatal mental health with panellists reflecting on these issues from their own backgrounds as healthcare providers, advocates, researchers, policymakers, and from their lived experience.

Panellists discussed the global magnitude and impact of perinatal mental health disorders on mothers, babies, families, and communities; barriers to women accessing mental health care services; lessons learned in regard to best practices for prevention and treatment; and policy changes to improve access to perinatal mental health care for pregnant individuals worldwide. The event can be viewed here.

 

 

Midwives & COVID-19 6/12
A MOMENT FOR MIDWIVES
Past successes and future hopes for the Decade of the Midwife
 
Midwives in COVID-19

“Can you imagine what would happen if we could not continue to provide family planning services? How many would have failed and resulted in unwanted pregnancies?”

This question was posed by Emi Nurjasmi, Chairperson of the Indonesian Midwives Association (IBI) as she reflects on the critical need to continue family planning and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a question midwives across the world asked themselves as they worked to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on women and other vulnerable groups and to ensure that women’s family planning and SRH needs are continuously met.

As with other key health workers, midwives were at high risk of infection but were met with extra barriers as women’s health services were deprioritised, and in some cases, midwives were redeployed to help manage the outbreak of the pandemic. After hearing stories from our Midwives’ Associations and other stakeholders about these issues, ICM and UNFPA, with support from Johnson & Johnson Foundation, undertook a global survey of over 100 of our midwives’ associations to determine the impact and response of midwives’ associations to COVID-19 and to identify trends in the issues facing midwives and the women, newborns and communities they support.

Midwives in COVID-19
Photo Credit: Zilkee Sharma

Results

Between July 2020 and April 2021, the survey received responses from 101 midwives’ associations, including responses from 124 different countries, and from these responses, several key themes emerged.

Lack of access to timely, good quality information regarding the severity of the infection was felt by many, with only 68% of associations saying that they had been informed about the dangers of COVID-19 at the outset by the authorities. Furthermore, 84 out of the 143 associations responded that the majority of their information came from ICM (87%), rather than their own governments.

Midwifery work during COVID 19
Midwifery work during COVID 19

Many reported that the supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to midwives was haphazard, with two-thirds of associations responding that there wasn’t enough for their midwives. When PPE was not available, midwives had to resort to all sorts of measures to try and keep themselves safe, with anecdotes of midwives wearing plastic garbage bags fashioned into gowns to protect themselves and being asked to purchase PPE from their own pockets.

Many midwives were redeployed to care for patients affected by COVID-19, with 51% of the 87 responding associations reporting that their members had been moved away from their usual work of providing maternity or SRH services to support the pandemic response. This led to midwife shortages and longer working hours for those who did remain in their roles.

The impact on women’s ability and confidence to access services was significant. Three quarters (75%) of the associations who responded said that women had expressed being afraid to attend maternity facilities and this was reflected in the dramatic (73%) reduction in attendance. There was as much as a 44% increase in women having home births, this could’ve been due to not being able to access care in hospitals, but not enough midwives to provide adequate care. Most startlingly, 10% of women reported being unable to access a midwife at all.

Midwives in COVID-19
Photo Credit: UNFPA/ Zilkee Sharma

Stories behind the numbers

This data helped to quantify what many of us already knew and were experiencing. Midwives were battling through dangerous situations to continue providing care for women and newborns.

In Colombo, Sri Lanka, Midwife Sanandamali, who has served as a midwife for 15 years, highlights the duty she felt to continue caring for women and newborns in her community: “I have a service to provide and that is my focus. Every child I help bring into this world, it feels like my own so I will not let the pandemic stop me from carrying out my duties.” Her dedication to her duties was such that in 2018 Sandamali and her team were awarded 1st place for exceptional service in the Colombo Municipal Council area by the Health Promotion Bureau.

Midwives have been integral in not only ensuring protocols were met to prevent infections from passing on during childbirth but also in helping their communities practice preventative measures in everyday life. Shume Tolera, a senior midwife in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, said that “With all these limitations, midwives are counselling pregnant, labouring and postpartum mothers on COVID-19 prevention” and added that supplies received from the Ethiopian Midwives Association and its partners are helping them deliver standardized high-quality care.

Alongside the impact of the pandemic, the everyday challenges of delivering in remote areas were felt by UNFPA supported midwife Zilkee Sharma in Bangladesh, where she was called to support the birth of a baby on a boat. Zilkee immediately rushed to the nearby river and discovered the mother could not be safely brought to the hospital in time so she would have to give birth on the boat. “I am so happy that I was able to save both the life of a mother and a little baby girl today. If I did not come to the river, the situation could have been really serious. I have never been as proud to call myself a midwife!,” Zilkee said after the birth.

The research and case studies show what we already know to be true: resilience and perseverance are innate to midwifery. Midwives continued to uphold care despite limited resources, stoppages in pay and the stark reality of the illness, yet many of them continue to work in these situations, over a year and a half on since the beginning of the pandemic.

As we look to build back better from the effects of COVID-19, governments should look to midwife-led continuity of care models and more community-based primary health maternity services as they redesign responsive health systems that are capable of upholding quality care during health threats.

 

Professional Framework 7/12
A MOMENT FOR MIDWIVES
Past successes and future hopes for the Decade of the Midwife
 
Professional Framework

Every profession needs a professional framework — an informative tool aimed at strengthening the profession and guiding its development. In 2009, ICM established the original professional framework for midwifery. It was made up of three pillars: education, regulation and association. Two further elements underpinned the three pillars: the essential competencies of midwifery and midwifery research.

Over time, as the global health landscape has shifted and evolved, it has also become increasingly obvious that elements are missing from the framework. We began to see that in many countries around the world, education, regulation and association was not enough to advance the profession, even when underpinned by the essential competencies and research if they did not exist in a context conducive to supporting midwives and midwifery.

We have developed a new and improved professional framework for midwifery to reflect the evolution of our profession and better represent midwifery as it exists today. It is an illustration of why and how we exist as a profession and a representation of our core beliefs. The new and improved professional framework for midwifery will support our profession to remain relevant, innovative, and ahead of the curve.

We’ve developed the below animation to articulate the key elements of the new professional framework. This animation is only the beginning of ICM’s efforts to ensure the framework is understood by our midwives’ associations and each and every stakeholder engaged with midwives and midwifery. In early 2022, ICM will share an in-depth explanation of the new professional framework designed to support midwives to integrate the framework at a country level.

 

Midwifery Education 8/12
A MOMENT FOR MIDWIVES
Past successes and future hopes for the Decade of the Midwife
 
Midwifery Education

In an effort to ensure high-quality midwifery services for women everywhere, ICM sets Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice outlining the minimum set of knowledge, skills and professional behaviours required to use the designation of ‘midwife’. In 2019, ICM revised these competencies to better accommodate the diverse cultural considerations that influence and guide the practice of midwifery around the world.

This year, ICM released the revised Global Education Standards in order to:

  • Promote a common understanding and approach to midwifery education across countries of the world
  • Guide the development of new programmes or the restructuring of existing programmes where qualified midwives are needed
  • Assist other midwifery accrediting agencies, government health/education departments and education institutions within countries/states to develop or revise their own standards.

ICM recognizes that in setting international standards, we strive to find the competencies required by all practising midwives while keeping progress markers flexible and adjustable based on each country's context. The revised competencies produce a model that is simple and more general in scope, empowering regulators, educators and midwives’ associations to provide improved midwifery education across all settings.

You can find more about the 2019 revised competencies here.

In late 2021 and in 2022, UNFPA is set to launch new midwifery education and training resurces, some of which ICM is working closely with them on. These resources include

  • A series of films on safe abortion care developed together with Global Health Media Products;
  • Arabic and Spanish versions of the Safe Delivery App, along with a new module on safe abortion care developed together with the Maternity Foundation;
  • E-learning modules developed together with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
  • New pre-service education resources and new training modules on perinatal mental health, maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response and simulation-based training for Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC), as well as a facility-based mentorship toolkit and training package, developed together with Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Laerdal Global Health.

Education in practice: Upskilling midwives in rural Pakistan

“I was seventeen when my first daughter was born at home. My mother-in-law tells me to take care of myself and prays for my life because a mother’s life is important for little children. That is why I visit the hospital.” - Seema, a Pakistani woman who received midwife-led care at Koohi Goth Hospital, located on the outskirts of Karachi.

Every day at Koohi Goth Hospital in rural Pakistan, approximately 400 women visit the facility’s outpatient department. Noor, a senior midwife at the facility is dedicated to providing women in her rural community with high-quality midwifery services. “I sometimes feel tired but these women need us. They need care as other hospitals were closed during restrictions due to COVID-19. When we facilitate them, we forget our pain,” says Noor.

UNFPA, together with Johnson and Johnson, local governments and other civic-society partners, are conducting work in Pakistan to provide Noor and midwives across the country with refresher trainings and e-module courses on the latest professional developments, enhancing their knowledge and improving health outcomes in the process.

Reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child health (RMNCH) indicators remain poor in Pakistan (140maternal deaths per 100,000 live births). Early childbearing and lack of awareness put women at life-threatening risks and in remote areas, health facilities are scarce and childbirths are often attended by unskilled, community midwives. Moving forward, UNFPA and its local partners plan to take the midwifery education and services in Pakistan to new levels, supporting midwives like Noor to continually deliver quality midwife-led care to women and newborns.

“At times, when I reflect over challenging cases and obstetric complications, which I managed to handle, I feel proud of being a midwife who saves lives.”

 

Maternal Mental Health 9/12
A MOMENT FOR MIDWIVES
Past successes and future hopes for the Decade of the Midwife
 
Maternal Mental Health

The prevention, early recognition and treatment of maternal mental health (MMH) conditions is a challenge for many health care systems across the world. We know that maternal mental health care is still not well incorporated into pre-service/pre-registration training, particularly for nurses and midwives and many other maternity care providers in LMICs (Low and Middle Income Countries) and therefore, these health care providers who have contact with women and their families across the life course do not always have the requisite knowledge and skills to adequately support the perinatal health needs of women.

Fortunately, there has been some great work that has taken place this year to help address these issues. To help strengthen the knowledge and skills of nurses and midwives in these settings, the UNFPA Asia and Pacific Regional Office together with UNFPA Headquarters and the Burnet Institute in Australia, has developed and implemented perinatal mental health capacity building training. This has been well received by midwives and other health care providers in Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Afghanistan and Laos. UNFPA together with other partners is also currently developing new resources and research to support midwifery educators to train midwives in perinatal mental health both face to face and online. These resources and research publications will be available in 2022.

UNFPA also supported the ‘Giving Voice to the Silent Burden: Maternal Mental Health Technical Consultation’ in September. The Technical Consultation was hosted by USAID MOMENTUM together with UNFPA and WHO across three days in September. The Technical Consultation was facilitated by global and local MMH experts allowing members of the maternal, newborn, child health, nutrition, and mental health communities to collaborate and inform the path forward to ensure that pregnant and postpartum women receive respectful and nurturing mental health care they need and deserve. This consultation will inform efforts to strengthen the MMH research agenda, implementation approaches, and integration within health programs and services. A commentary on the Technical Consultation and Call to Action will be published soon. Find out more here.

UNFPA Maternal Health Thematic Fund (MHTF) Report and key results

Since 2008, the MHTF has served as UNFPA’s flagship programme on maternal and newborn health. The MHTF in 2020 supported 32 countries with among the highest rates of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity across five regions (the Arab States, West and Central Africa, East and Southern Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean). The fund continued to focus on building capacities to provide maternal and newborn health care; improve the quality of care through quality midwifery services, emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) and maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response (MPDSR); and prevent and treat obstetric fistula to ensure the most marginalized women and girls realize their human right to a healthy life.

The latest MHTF report has highlighted that in 2020, the MHTF supported pre-service and in-service education and training of over 31,500 midwives and the further higher education of over 2,900 midwives who graduated from bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree programmes. More than 500 midwifery schools have been accredited across MHTF-supported countries, aligning with WHO and ICM standards. Nineteen countries have mainstreamed midwifery in their national human resources for health policies or have existing stand-alone midwifery policies. Find out more here.

 

Dedication 10/12
A MOMENT FOR MIDWIVES
Past successes and future hopes for the Decade of the Midwife
 

This year’s publication is dedicated to the midwives and healthcare workers who lost their lives while providing care to women, newborns and communities amidst a global pandemic, the impacts of climate change and political and social upheaval.

We’d like to honour Presidents of two Midwives Associations who sadly lost their lives:

Louisa Muteti
Dr. Elgonda Bekker, President of the Society of Midwives of South Africa
Dr. Elgonda Bekker
Louisa Muteti, President of the Midwives Association of Kenya

Both women were career-long advocates of midwives and champions of sexual and reproductive health. Their contributions to our global midwife community do not go unnoticed and act as sources of inspiration for the next generation of midwives.

 

PUSH campaign 11/12
A MOMENT FOR MIDWIVES
Past successes and future hopes for the Decade of the Midwife
 
PUSH campaign
Photo Credit: PUSH campaign

Earlier this year, ICM, along with a number of global partners announced a new global campaign: PUSH, a decade-long multi-stakeholder initiative to drive reductions in maternal and neonatal mortality, as well as advancing SRHR rights, by increasing investments and shifting perceptions of midwives globally. We know that maternal and newborn mortality rates are the highest where midwifery numbers are lowest so it’s time to invest in midwives as the solutions to saving lives and improving care for women everywhere.

[Box with stats: Universal midwifery coverage by 2035 would avert 67% of maternal deaths, 64% of newborn deaths and 65% of stillbirths. It would save an estimated 4.3 million lives per year by 2035.]

The 5 campaign asks are:

More funding for more midwives

More funding for more midwives

Improved education and training

Better pay and working conditions

Status, respect and autonomy

Improved gender norms

Improved gender norms

We will achieve these goals through a three-pronged approach:

  1. Engaging traditional and non-traditional donors to elevate midwifery in donor funding priorities;
  2. Targeting policy and advocacy in key geographies supported by local communications to target areas for improvement;
  3. Running global and regional level communications campaigns to shift public perceptions on midwives and their work.

Sign up to receive updates on the PUSH campaign

Here’s what you can expect from PUSH in 2022:

  • Confirmation on the implementing regions/countries where PUSH will be working in for the next few years of the campaign
  • Regional Learning Session to bring together stakeholders within the regions where PUSH will be working
  • The PUSH campaign official launch event
  • Additional campaign promotional materials to support midwives, women and their supporters to get involved with the campaign and advocate for increased investments in midwives and midwifery
Universal Midwifery Coverage will avert
Universal Midwifery Coverage will avert

 

 

Acknowledgements

 

Publication

December 2021

 

Copyright

The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM)

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

 

Special thanks to

Ann Yates

Anneka Ternald Knutsson

Franka Cadée

Geeta Lal

Global Office Consulting

Martha Bokosi

Morgane Schmidt

RedOrange Media & Communications

Sally Pairman

Sarah Bar-Zeev

 

Supported By

United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA)

 

Content compiled by

Molly Karp

Wallis Grant

 

Translations

Géraldine Solignac, PhD.

Lina Preciado de Novak

Roxanna Azimy

 

Midwives in Action UNFPA
/12
1 Past successes and future hopes for the Decade of the Midwife
2 Foreword
3 Index
4 2021 Reflections
5 2021 Key Moments
6 Midwives & COVID-19
7 Professional Framework
8 Midwifery Education
9 MMH
10 Dedication
11 PUSH
12 Acknowledgements