As catastrophe grips Sudan, the UN agency for reproductive health is stepping up support, with midwives playing a key role in helping provide safe deliveries amid growing violence.
The world is currently facing a shortage of around 900,000 midwives, with COVID-19 further exacerbating the situation as many have been redeployed to help plug vital gaps in other health services, according to a new United Nations report.
With many national health systems totally overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic, midwives are demonstrating courage and resilience as they support women and newborns in the toughest of circumstances, the head of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said on Tuesday.
The world will need an additional nine million nurses and midwives to achieve the commitment of providing all people with access to health care by 2030, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
Why are midwives important? What impact have they had on mothers’ and babies’ health? As the United Nations celebrates midwives across the world on Sunday, here are five things you should know about the critical role they play in communities.
Libyan women hampered by lack of midwives and gender-based violence
Libyan women are suffering from a rise in gender-based violence and a lack of trained midwives, making childbirth more hazardous.
That’s according to Georges Makram Georgi, from the UN’s Population Fund (UNFPA).
He said the problems stem from conflict and instability that’s plagued the country since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, in 2011.
UNFPA has been working to provide advanced training to personnel to protect women in Libya and help them tackle the challenges they face.
Mr Georgi spoke to Priyanka Shankar.
Being a woman, human rights defender in Pakistan is “risky”
Four years ago, there were only 10 qualified midwives in South Sudan, which has a population of more than 12 million.
Today, more than 300 of these skilled workers are deployed across the country, according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
UNFPA Deputy Country Representative Dr Wilfred Ochan described the rise in midwives as one of the “exciting stories” coming out of the world’s youngest nation.
South Sudan attained independence in July 2011, but has seen more than two years of brutal conflict.
Improvements in an incentive payment system for midwives in India has led to healthier mums and babies.
Through the system, supported by the private sector investment arm of the World Bank, midwives receive cash payments for each baby born in a health centre.
Children delivered by trained medical staff are more likely to survive than those born at home.
