Shortage of Midwives Should be Tackled Urgently, Says UNFPA for World Health Day

Today, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, joins the World Health Organization in commemorating World Health Day by honouring the global health workforce. We join a chorus of voices in paying tribute to the health workers in every country who dedicate their lives to the well-being of others.

Today, we would like to pay special tribute to midwives. These skilled health workers play a central role in saving the lives and improving the health of mothers and infants around the world. Yet, despite their importance, they often face poor working conditions, inadequate supplies and support and, as a female health workforce, are subject to gender discrimination. To make matters worse, there is a shortage of midwives in many countries. Today, 700,000 more midwives are needed to provide universal access to skilled care at birth. Addressing this shortage through education, training and deployment to underserved areas would bring us much closer to achieving the Millennium Development Goal of improving maternal health.

Concerted efforts are urgently needed to solve the shortage of midwives and other health workers—a shortage that is severe in the poorest countries, putting the lives of millions of people at risk. The brain drain of health workers from the developing world is an urgent issue that deserves a collective response.

Today on World Health Day, let us pledge to work together to increase investment in the health sector, including sexual and reproductive health. Let us join hands in every country for a health system with staff that is available, sufficient in numbers and skills, and responsive to the communities they serve.