Midwives at the Forefront at IMNHC 2026
The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) maintained a powerful presence throughout the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC) 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, between 23-26 March 2026. The conference brought together nearly 1,800 delegates from more than 87 countries under the theme “Moving forward. Together” aimed to address the challenges the world is facing relating to stagnating maternal mortality rates, issues around quality and availability of medicines and commodities, respectful care, and others that have the potential to impact millions of women and newborns. ICM’s strategic engagement across the event reinforced the message that investing in midwives is essential, because they are the cornerstone of the solution to improving maternal and newborn survival.
6th Global Midwifery Symposium
A pre-conference day, hosted by UNFPA in collaboration with WHO, UNICEF, ICM, and other partners built on the momentum from the 2023 Global Call to Action and Commitment. The Symposium brought together midwifery and maternal and newborn health leaders, policymakers, civil society partners, professional organisations and donors to turn high-level vision into country-level action and results. ICM’s Chief Midwife Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent and Chief Executive Anna af Ugglas presented ICM’s work and reinforced ICM’s commitment to elevating the profession.
A New Deal and Workforce Imperatives
The conference opened with Africa CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya proposing a “New Deal” for maternal and child health in Africa—a call for system-wide transformation tied to domestic financing, stronger primary healthcare systems, and local manufacturing of essential commodities. This framing aligned perfectly with ICM’s longstanding advocacy that midwives must be at the heart of sustainable maternal health systems.
From Policy to Practice—The Workforce Gap
Day two opened with sobering findings that reinforced ICM’s core message. WHO’s Allisyn Moran revealed that in 2023, there were still 4.5 million deaths of women during pregnancy and childbirth, as well as newborns and stillbirths, with progress having stalled since 2015-2016. The morning plenary featured country perspectives from India, Bangladesh, Yemen, and Senegal.
Chief Midwife Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent spoke at the high-profile satellite session launching the State of Africa’s Stillbirths report and reiterated the role midwives have in stillbirth prevention. The report emphasises that stillbirth serves as a critical indicator of health system quality.
A further session hosted by the HIGH Horizons project, Extreme Heat and MNCH deep-dived into the newest evidence on the impact of heat on health. Chief Midwife Dunkley-Bent spoke at the session.
Countries Leading Through Midwifery
Day three’s Country Showcase brought concrete national examples, several of which highlighted midwifery development as central to their strategies. It was also a day with meetings with members of parliament to discuss the UNFPA Midwifery Accelerator and the power of midwives.
ICM Head of Advocacy and Communications Daniela Drandic spoke at a session on stillbirth and parents’ voices; Chief Executive Anna af Ugglas spoke at a session on improving maternal health through evidence, as well as a session on advancing midwifery in humanitarian settings, that focused on the MISP for Midwives, currently under development.
The day closed with an evening event co-hosted by ICM and Kinaura Partners, focusing on prevention. The event featured ICM member the Midwives’ Association of Kenya, who shared their experiences on the power of preventative care.
From Innovation to Implementation
The final day of the conference featured an Innovation Marketplace with 47 innovators, many showcasing tools designed to support health workers. ICM had a booth presenting the Midwives’ Data Hub, and partnered with Laerdal to demonstrate the Essential Competencies Simulation Learning Solution.
A strong session was organised on the role of professional associations on advancing SRMNAH, featuring ICM, FIGO and AAP. Anna af Ugglas moderated the session while Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent served as a panellist. The session demonstrated how important interprofessional collaboration is to improve systems and outcomes for women and newborns.
Kenya’s Principal Secretary Dr. Ouma Oluga closed the conference with an emotional appeal: “Preventable maternal and neonatal deaths is the greatest indictment of any healthcare system.” He called for shifting from “health financing for reports, not for results” toward measurable impact.
ICM’s Strategic Success at IMNHC 2026
Over four intensive days, members of ICM’s leadership team participated in or led 15+ major sessions, delivered multiple keynote addresses and panel presentations, and conducted dozens of strategic meetings with funders, UN agencies, and partner organizations. The team’s coordinated presence—from the opening Global Midwifery Symposium through the closing parliamentary commitments—successfully positioned midwifery workforce investment as central to achieving maternal and newborn health goals.