International Day of the Midwife 2026 Press Kit: The World Needs One Million More Midwives 

HEADLINE

The world is missing nearly one million midwives, leaving millions of women without access to essential care 

Ahead of International Day of the Midwife on 5 May, marked this year under the theme One Million More Midwives, the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) is calling for urgent global action to grow and support the midwifery workforce, as new research shows a shortage of approximately 980,000 midwives across 181 countries. 

This gap is already affecting access to care for women and newborns worldwide. Millions of women are currently unable to access essential care before, during and after pregnancy, and without immediate investment, this shortage is expected to persist well into the next decade. 

WHY THIS MATTERS NOW

• The shortage is happening now, not in the future 

• Health systems are already overstretched and under pressure 

• Women are experiencing reduced access to care and lower quality of care 

• Even with current training rates, the shortage will remain in the hundreds of thousands by 2030 

• Global momentum is building through a petition calling for one million more midwives, to be delivered to global leaders in June 2026 

International Day of the Midwife (5 May) is a key global moment to highlight this issue and push for action. 

KEY DATA

• Global shortage: Approximately 980,000 additional midwives are needed worldwide to meet current population needs, making this one of the largest global health workforce gaps 

• Coverage: The analysis spans 181 countries, representing 82% of the world’s women of reproductive age, making it the most comprehensive post-COVID assessment of the midwifery workforce 

• Lives saved: Universal access to midwife-delivered care could prevent around two-thirds of all maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths 

• Annual impact: Even modest increases in midwifery coverage could save more than one million lives every year 

• 2030 projection: Without urgent investment, the global shortage is expected to remain between 690,000 and 830,000 midwives by 2030, as population growth continues to outpace workforce expansion 

Regional highlights: 

• Africa: Accounts for approximately 46% of the global midwife shortage, despite being home to less than one-fifth of the world’s women of reproductive age. Around 9 in 10 women in the region live in countries where midwives are in short supply, making this the most acute and urgent regional gap globally 

• Eastern Mediterranean: Represents around 26% of the global shortage, with nearly 69% of the required midwifery workforce missing, significantly limiting access to care across multiple countries in the region 

• Americas: Has the highest proportional shortage, with around 85% of midwives needed currently unavailable. In many countries, the workforce would need to increase almost sevenfold to meet population needs 

• Europe: Despite strong health systems, multiple countries continue to face persistent midwife shortages, reflecting long-term underinvestment, workforce planning gaps, and challenges in retention and deployment 

CORE NARRATIVE

The global shortage of midwives is not only a workforce gap. It reflects a broader failure to invest in and organise health systems to meet the needs of women and newborns. 

This shortage exists in every region of the world and disproportionately affects those already facing barriers to care, including rural, low-resource and marginalised communities. Where midwives are most needed, they are often least available. 

Nearly one million missing midwives means that millions of women are unable to access timely, high-quality care before, during and after pregnancy. Health systems are stretched, midwives are overburdened, and the quality and safety of care is affected. 

Without action, this shortage risks becoming self-reinforcing. Overworked and under-supported midwives are more likely to leave the profession, further reducing workforce capacity and increasing pressure on those who remain. 

This is a solvable challenge. Midwives are trained to provide the majority of essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health services. When they are available, supported and able to work to their full scope of practice, health systems function more effectively and outcomes improve significantly. 

International Day of the Midwife provides a global moment to bring this issue into focus and drive action. The theme One Million More Midwives reflects both the scale of the shortage and the solution required. 

ICM is using this moment to mobilise public and political support through a global petition calling for investment in midwives. The goal is to demonstrate clear demand for action and ensure that governments prioritise the policies, funding and system changes needed to grow and support the midwifery workforce. 

QUOTES

Anna af Ugglas, Chief Executive, ICM 

“This is not a future risk. It is a present reality. Nearly one million missing midwives means health systems are stretched beyond capacity, midwives are overworked and under-supported, and care becomes rushed and fragmented. This is not only a workforce issue, it is a quality and safety issue for women and babies.” 

Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, Chief Midwife, ICM 

“The shortage is not only about how many midwives are trained, but whether they are employed and deployed where women need them. In many settings, midwives are not enabled to practise fully, leaving women without access to the care they are trained to provide.” 

Sandra Oyarzo Torrez, President, ICM 

“International Day of the Midwife is a moment to recognise midwives, but also to call for action. Around the world, there is a shortage of one million midwives. This means too many women go without the care they need, and too many midwives are working in systems without the support they need to do their jobs.” 

Mandy, South Dakota (USA) 

“We simply don’t have enough midwives to serve our communities. In South Dakota, more than half the population lives in maternity deserts, where women may need to travel 60 to 120 miles to access care. We need more midwives, more access to midwives, and policies that allow them to work to their full scope of practice to serve rural populations.” 

Ximena, midwife from Chile

“We are seeing a growing gap between the number of midwives being trained and the jobs available. Without proper workforce planning and commitment from health authorities, midwives are not being integrated into the system, despite being essential providers of care.”

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Meave, midwife from the United Arab Emirates

“There is a critical shortage of midwives in the UAE. While there has been investment in education, confusion between midwifery and nursing continues to create challenges, including limits on scope of practice and recognition.”

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Nahid, midwife from Iran
“The issue is not only the number of midwives, but how they are used. Many trained midwives are not fully integrated into the health system, while cesarean rates remain very high. Strengthening midwifery care is key to improving quality of care and outcomes.”

THE ASK

ICM is calling on governments to: 

• Invest in midwifery education, employment and retention 

• Ensure midwives can work to their full scope of practice 

• Provide fair pay and safe working conditions 

• Strengthen midwifery leadership and integration into health systems 

This call is being amplified through a global petition: https://millionmore.org/petition/ 

Goal: 1 million signatures, to be presented at the ICM Triennial Congress in June 2026. 

STORY ANGLES

• The world is missing one million midwives and the consequences are already visible in health systems worldwide 

• Millions of women still cannot access a trained midwife before, during and after pregnancy 

• Underinvestment in midwifery is limiting progress in maternal and newborn health 

• A proven solution exists: midwives can deliver most essential care and improve outcomes 

• The shortage is global, but its impact is greatest in rural, low-resource and marginalised communities 

WHAT ICM HAS TO OFFER

• Interviews with global experts (ICM leadership) 

• Rapid connection to midwives in countries with ICM member associations across all regions 

• High-resolution photo library (you can access it here) 

• Context and expert explanation on midwifery and health systems 

We can connect journalists with spokespeople and stories within 24–48 hours. 

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE MIDWIFE

International Day of the Midwife is held annually on 5 May. It recognises the essential role midwives play in providing sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health care and highlights the investment needed to ensure access to safe, high-quality care for all. 

ABOUT ICM

The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) is the global voice for midwives, representing more than 135 midwives’ associations across over 115 countries. ICM envisions a world where every woman, newborn and adolescent has access to an autonomous and competent midwife’s care, and every midwife is enabled to provide equitable and rights-based sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health care. 

MEDIA CONTACT

Ana Gutiérrez Fernández, Communications Lead, ICM

Email: [email protected]