May 5 is the internationally recognised day for highlighting the work of midwives. It was established by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) in 1992 to focus attention on the role of midwives and midwifery. In the lead up to 2015, ICM is using the overarching theme 'The World Needs Midwives Today More Than Ever' as part of an ongoing campaign to highlight the need for midwives. This reflects the need to accelerate progress towards MDGs 4 and 5.