WINDHOEK, Namibia ̶ UNFPA-Namibia, joined in solidarity with the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and the Independent Midwives Association of Namibia (IMANA) to celebrate this year’s International Day of the Midwife (IDM) today under the theme of Follow the Data: Invest in Midwives.
The day coincided with the launch of the 2021 State of the World's Midwifery Report (SOWMy), produced by UNFPA, ICM), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Novametrics, which provides an updated evidence base and detailed analysis on the impact of midwives on maternal and new-born health outcomes and the return on investment in midwives.
The report establishes a global shortage of 1.1 million Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Adolescent Health (SRMNAH) workers, the largest shortage (900,000) being midwives.
Addressing participants on May 8th, UNFPA-Namibia’s Country Representative, Sheila Roseau stated: “If we increase the number of midwives and the quality of care they provide, we would save an estimated 4.3 million lives a year by 2035. Universal coverage of midwife-delivered interventions by 2035 would avert 67% of maternal deaths.
Roseau said midwives today are needed more than ever as they play an instrumental role to introduce women to the health system and ensure that both mothers and babies receive postnatal care during the crucial six weeks after birth.
“We know that midwives deliver much more than babies: They are the connective tissue for many communities around the world, helping women and girls care for their health, from family planning all the way through the postpartum period,” she stressed.
Roseau also reaffirmed UNFPA-Namibia’s commitment to continue working with partners and stakeholders to strengthen midwifery skills and capacities. She emphasised that UNFPA will continue to support the Harambee Prosperity Plan II that aims to improve access to health care and universal health coverage.
She closed her remarks by thanking the Government of the Republic of Namibia, IMANA, as well as many other partners and stakeholders for their continued commitment to making a difference in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and maternal health.
She expressed hope that the government and various stakeholders would use the SoWMy report to improve access to healthcare and to, “to build back better and fairer from the pandemic, forging stronger primary health-care systems as a pathway to universal health coverage and fostering a more equitable world for all.”
