But despite their critical role, United Nations support for midwives is seriously threatened due to serious funding reductions.
Each year, three -quarters of all maternal deaths occur in only 25 countries, the majority of them located in sub -Saharan Africa and South Asia, according to the United Nations Reproductive Health Agency, UNFPA.
Midwives are often the first and only stakeholders providing rescue care for pregnant women and their newborns in crisis, where the risk of dying during pregnancy or double delivery.
The financing cuts now force the UNFPA to support its support for midwives. In eight of the affected countries, the agency will only be able to finance 47% of the 3,521 midwives which it intended to support in 2025.
On the front line
In times of crisis, women often lose critical access to vital maternity services. Coming to the rescue in the healthiest and serve as a life buoy for pregnant women, “Midwives save lives,” said Natalia KanemExecutive director of UNFPA.
The United Nations support for midwives in humanitarian areas includes training, providing supplies and equipment and, in some cases, transport for mobile health clinics. All of this must be reduced among the financing cuts.
“”When crises strike and systems decompose, midwives intervene“Said the UNFPA, marking International Widowing Day.
Financing cuts
In the midst of a global shortage of nearly a million midwives, the rise in mortality in women and newborns in conflict areas and fragile contexts is now reported as a result of budget cuts.
“We lack everything, from blood to drugs. With the support of UNFPA and other partners, we can always provide services – but for how long?“Said Fabrice Bishenge, director of Kyeshero General Hospital in Eastern Dr Congo.
Deaths during childbirth in fragile circles affected by conflicts now represent 60% of all maternal deaths worldwide. Around the world, deep funding cuts only exacerbate this trend. In Yemen, for example, on 590,000 women of the prosecutor should lose access to a midwife.
The waiting room of a maternity unit in the province of Herat, in Afghanistan.
New initiative
In the light of the current funding crisis, the UNFPA and the partners recently launched the global midwifery accelerator-a coordinated initiative aimed at increasing the midwife-led care in countries with the highest maternal mortality rates.
The initiative defines a profitable roadmap focused on saving lives and strengthening national health systems, even in the most fragile contexts.
Make an urgent appeal for higher funding, training and plea for midwives, the UNFPA stressed that universal health coverage led by midwives could avoid two thirds of maternal and newborns, reducing health care costs and leading to more productive workforce.
