Global midwives shortage
When we think about healthcare facilities, it doesn’t mean only a big city hospital equipped with all the modern infrastructure, equipment, medicines, and medical experts. In the vulnerable regions and remote areas across the world, healthcare facility has a definition beyond this. Because they just can expect for a healthcare person with basic knowledge, indigenous equipment and important medicines. If such health persons are available in time to those in need, it’s a safeguard for huge population.
For childbearing women and their families in several vulnerable regions, midwives are such saviors. A capable and well-trained midwife has a massive impact on pregnant women and their families. Such impact comes from one generation to the next, making the women children of a midwife taking up same occupation. However, a number of women now don’t want to follow their ancestors, and are saying to midwife’s work. This has increased problems of millions of childbearing women. The world is facing the crunch of nearly 900,000 midwives now, says report.
Global midwives shortage: An analysis
As demand of trained health workers rose with mounting Covid-19 cases, many women have joined the pandemic-fighting force and other health services. The 2021 State of the World’s Midwifery report says, a fully resourcing midwives’ help can save 4.3 million women annually. According to the United Nations’ report, these midwives can prevent two-thirds of maternal and newborn deaths, and stillbirths by 2035. The midwives have an “enormous impact” on childbearing women and their families, says UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director Natalia Kanem.
This impact is often passed on from one generation to the next. Kanem said that in view of more than a decade that UNFPA spent in “strengthening education, enhancing working conditions and supporting leadership roles for the midwifery profession.” She added that these efforts have brought change. Further, the UN report urges governments to offer an enabling work environment to midwives. Th work environment for the midwives must be free from gender-based stigma, violence and discrimination. Also, there is a need for an investment in them because these life saviors need support too.
Midwives can be life-saviors for millions
The report called on larger investment in the education and training of midwives and midwife-led service delivery, and midwifery leadership and governance. It also suggests appointment of midwives as leaders at country level. That is because this will create major handle for building capacity in the field. Midwives don’t just have to attend birth, but have a larger role during antenatal and postnatal care. They provide various sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning. Midwives also offer help in detecting and treating sexually transmitted infections, and sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents.
While doing this they ensure a respectful care with upholding women’s rights. A rise in the number of midwives along with providing them an enabling environment will ensure improvement in health of women and newborns. According to the report’s 2021 edition, the third in the series, this will benefit the society as a whole. Despite previous warnings and presentation of a roadmap to remedy the deficit, there has been a sluggish progress, said report. As per the latest analysis if we continue with the current rate, just a slight improvement will happen in the situation by 2030.
