World Needs One Million More Midwives by 2035, UNFPA Chief Warns - International Society for Media In Public Health

UNFPA Executive Director Ms Diene Keita says scaling up the midwifery workforce could save more than four million lives every year and transform maternal healthcare globally.

Ms Diene Keita, the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has called for one million additional midwives to be trained and deployed globally by 2035, saying the investment could prevent more than four million deaths every year.

Keita made the call in a statement to mark the International Day of the Midwife, underscoring the indispensable role midwives play in preventing avoidable maternal and newborn deaths worldwide.

“Educating, deploying and retaining one million more midwives would transform health systems and improve millions of lives.”

Diene Keita, UNFPA Executive Director

She described midwives as essential health workers who offered a practical and proven solution to one of the most pressing challenges in global health.

“Midwives are essential health workers, and they offer a solution to one of the most urgent challenges in global health: preventing women and newborns from dying needlessly from complications of pregnancy and childbirth,” she said.

According to Keita, the presence of a skilled midwife significantly increases the chances of safe delivery and survival for both mother and child. She further noted that in fragile and crisis-affected settings, midwives were often the first and only providers of maternal healthcare services available to communities.

“Midwives are at the heart of safer, more equitable healthcare that upholds women’s rights.”

Diene Keita, UNFPA Executive Director

Keita highlighted that Africa accounts for approximately half of the global shortfall in midwives, a gap she said directly contributes to persistently high maternal mortality rates across the continent.

She also noted that midwives are trained to deliver most essential sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning, skilled birth attendance, and critical care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period.

“They can also provide nutrition counselling, cancer screenings, and meet other diverse healthcare needs,” she said.

Keita highlighted the economic benefits of investing in midwifery, noting that every one dollar invested would yield up to 16 dollars in social and economic returns.

“Midwifery is the backbone of healthy and resilient societies where women and communities can thrive,” she said.

She said UNFPA, through the Midwifery Accelerator coalition, was supporting countries to develop evidence-based investment cases tailored to local needs.

The UNFPA chief called for increased investment in the largely female workforce through fair compensation and improved career development opportunities.

“This International Day of the Midwife, we celebrate midwives as the backbone of health systems and call for urgent investment in their education, leadership and protection,” she said.

She also urged the adoption of innovative technologies and diagnostic tools to strengthen midwives’ skills and decision-making capacity.

“Empowered midwives offer care that saves and improves lives. Let’s champion and support midwives for every woman who wants one, and for a healthier world for all,” she said.

The International Day of the Midwife is observed annually on May 5 to recognize the contributions of midwives to maternal and newborn health globally.