According to a new study, there is a catastrophic shortage of midwives worldwide. A deficit of nearly 1 million specialists globally is endangering the health of pregnant individuals and increasing the risk of maternal and infant mortality.
The study, published in the journal Women and Birth, emphasizes that the lack of necessary personnel directly impacts the quality of medical services.
According to the global research, an additional 980,000 midwives are required across 181 countries to ensure safe and high-quality medical care. A shortage of this magnitude is a critical issue, as comprehensive medical supervision provided by midwives could potentially reduce maternal and newborn mortality rates by two-thirds.
Experts predict that concerted efforts in this direction could save 4.3 million lives annually by 2035. More than 90% of the required workforce deficit is concentrated in low- and middle-income countries.
In Africa, for example, nine out of ten women lack access to adequate medical care because the continent possesses less than half of the necessary human resources. Similar problems persist in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Americas, where only a small fraction of the demand is met.
The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) indicates that the problem is not solely a lack of education. In many countries, healthcare systems fail to fully integrate and retain qualified personnel.
The organization calls on governments to take urgent measures to strengthen midwifery as a profession and increase funding to create more resilient and secure healthcare systems.
