Universal healthcare for all: everyone, everywhere

This year the focus of World Health Day is universal healthcare for all: everyone, everywhere.  This theme really resonates with ICM as it’s particularly relevant to our work. 

Globally, women accessing maternity services too often experience too much too soon or too little too late.  Autonomous midwives working to their full scope of practise in enabling environments within functioning health care systems are the key to achieving the best outcomes for every woman, everywhere, every day.

Our vision is evidence based woman-centred, safe and effective maternal and newborn health systems.  For all women this means their health is our first priority.  Together with our partners our job is to ensure they can access maternal and newborn healthcare and services they need, where and when they need it.  An essential part of this is midwifery led care.

Midwives work with women, individuals, groups, health professionals, researchers and innovators to care for and educate our community on how to take care of their maternal and newborn health and access the services they need.  Globally, access by every woman to an appropriately educated and skilled midwife improves access and equity to maternity services. 

ICM calls upon local and national governments, as well as international leaders to set, prioritise and integrate efforts across education, research and health service systems the needs of women and their newborns.  This primary health care strategy has the capacity to improve the health of nations and achieve quality, accessible, and equitable maternal and newborn health care to our communities.

Mary Kirk, Vice President of the International Confederation of Midwives