Midwives, Mothers and Families: Partners for Life

Joy Kemp, Global Professional Advisor with the Royal College of Midwives UK

Women, newborns and families of the world need midwives now and in the future. Every year, approximately 287,000 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Globally 2.7 million babies die every year in their first month of life and a similar number are stillborn. Most of these deaths could be prevented by forging strong partnerships with midwives. Extending access to midwives to all pregnant women would save millions of lives each year. If all women gave birth with a midwife in a facility capable of providing basic emergency care, it is estimated that 56% of maternal, fetal and newborn deaths could be prevented. Just as we are all committed to the highest quality care for all women, newborns and their families, so must we be united in our fervour to ensure that the midwifery workforce is supported by quality education, regulation, and safe working conditions.