When midwives are empowered, fully trained, well equipped and certified, they can help avert two thirds of maternal and newborn deaths. Yet only 22 per cent of countries in the East and Southern Africa region have enough adequately educated midwives to meet the basic needs of women and newborn infants.
Women of reproductive age have 4.8 children on average in the ESA region. While there has been steady progress in reducing Africa's maternal mortality ratio by 45 per cent since 1990, nearly 3 million newborn infants die in the first month of life and 2.6 million newborns are stillborn each year.
Investing in human resources with midwifery skills is vital. Midwives play a key role in prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV. May 5 each year is an internationally recognised day for highlighting the work of midwives. It was established by the International Confederation of Midwives in 1992 to focus on the role midwifery plays in improving the health and safety of mothers and newborn babies. It is an occasion to expand knowledge of what midwives do for the world.
To date, the overarching theme of 'The World Needs Midwives Today More Than Ever' has been part of an ongoing campaign to highlight the need for midwives, and it reflects the WHO's call for more midwives and the need to accelerate progress towards MDGs 4 and 5. This year's theme is 'Midwives: For a better tomorrow'.
