WHO Laments Acute Shortage Of Midwives In Africa
The 2021 State of the World’s Midwifery report by the World Health Organization, WHO, the International Conference of Midwives, ICM, and the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, say the global shortage of midwives stands at 900, 000, and is particularly acute in Africa with comparative figure for the region standing at just 41%.
It is estimated that 75% of essential needs for maternal and reproductive health care are met by midwives.
The International Day of the Midwife is celebrated annually on May 5, providing an opportunity to honour the work of midwives, and promote awareness of the crucial care that midwives provide to mothers and their newborns.
This year marks 100 years of the establishment of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and there are currently 143 midwives' associations representing 124 countries worldwide, including the Confederation of African Midwives Associations (CONAMA), which was inaugurated in 2013..
According to the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, midwives are central to the prevention of maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths, and 4.3 million lives could be saved annually by 2035 if there is adequate investment in midwifery, with particular relevance for the WHO African Region, which records about 196,000 maternal deaths each year, along with the deaths of one million babies younger than one month.
She lamented that if current trends persist, only 300,000 midwifery jobs are likely to be created in low-income countries, with the shortage of midwives set to increase to 1 million by 2030 and this has serious implications for the Sustainable Development Goals' target of reducing the global maternal mortality ratio before 2030.
Dr Moeti, said that contributions of midwives towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Health Coverage cannot be overlooked as midwives have been strengthening Primary Health Care for decades, acting as a critical link between women and the health system, and making pregnancy and childbirth safer and more secure.
According to her, if fully integrated into the health care system, and with the necessary enabling support, midwives have the capacity to provide a wide range of clinical interventions, thereby contributing to broader health goals including advancing Primary Health Care, addressing sexual and reproductive rights, promoting self-care interventions, and empowering women.
She said that WHO advocates for the adoption of policies to combat sexual harassment and promote a safe and respectful work environment for midwives and other health workers, noting that during the COVID-19 pandemic, midwifery became impacted by restrictive practices introduced in maternal and newborn care to mitigate the risk of cross-infection hence WHO, in collaboration with UNICEF and UNFPA, developed technical guidance for countries to enable continuity of essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health services, while protecting and supporting midwives.
Comments
Post a Comment