Advocacy, Human Rights

ICM Participates in Call for Inputs on Health Workers as Protectors of the Right to Health

ICM
5 February 2025

In December 2024, the Special Rapporteur for the Right to Health of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a Call for Inputs on health and care workers as key protectors of the right to health. The purpose of this was to inform the Rapporteur’s next report to the Human Rights Council in June 2025, dedicated to the theme of the same name.

ICM made a submission in this process, outlining the critical role midwives play in ensuring the right to health, especially to sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health services. We informed the report with examples from a number of different countries and member associations that have communicated issues with us and/or have been in the international media.

Summary of ICM’s response

ICM’s full response is available as an attachment to this post and is summarised here.

Midwifery services are heavily influenced by varying legal and professional frameworks, which impact the profession’s growth and accessibility. Regulatory authorities differ across countries; some provide comprehensive regulations that ensure public safety, while others lack sufficient oversight, leading to substandard care. The recognition of midwifery as a profession is essential, as weak regulations limit midwives’ roles, education, and resources, particularly in countries like Morocco and Ethiopia. Indigenous midwives also face unique challenges, such as geographic barriers to accredited programs in Hawaii and program closures in Canada.

Additionally, midwives encounter restrictive laws and policies that impact their practice, especially in conflict zones or countries with restrictive abortion laws, such as Afghanistan and parts of Europe. Gender discrimination, pay inequities, and limitations on services like home births and abortion care are also prevalent. Human rights issues, such as obstetric violence, exacerbate the situation, as midwives often lack training to address these concerns effectively.

Despite these obstacles, midwives continue to advocate for the right to health, providing essential care, especially during crises. However, they often do so without adequate support, training, or recognition from health systems, limiting their ability to deliver quality care.

Who is the Special Rapporteur for the Right to Health?

For millions of people throughout the world, the full enjoyment of the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health remains a distant goal. In many cases, this goal is becoming even harder to reach. This is especially true for those in vulnerable situations.

The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the right to physical and mental health was created to:

  • Gather, request, receive and exchange information on the realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health;
  •  Foster dialogue on possible cooperation with relevant actors, including Governments, the UN—and in particular WHO and UNAIDS—NGOs and financial institutions;
  •  Report on the realisation of the right to health throughout the world, including on laws, policies, good practices and obstacles, making recommendations to promote and protect this right and to support States’ enhancement of public health; and
  •  Address specific cases of alleged violations of the right to physical and mental health for everyone.

The current mandate holder is Ms. Tlaleng Mofokeng from South Africa, who was appointed as Special Rapporteur by the UN Human Rights Council at its forty-fourth session in July 2020. She is a medical doctor with expertise advocating for universal health access, HIV care, youth-friendly services and family planning.