UNFPA and partners will host a timely side event at the fifty-eighth session of the Commission on Population and Development to engage global leaders in the urgent need to expand midwifery services. The event, “Improving health and well-being for women and newborns,” will include the release of new maternal mortality figures, making a strong case for immediate investment in midwifery to drive lasting improvements in maternal, newborn and child health worldwide.
Maternal mortality represents one of the gravest forms of injustice – a preventable tragedy that claims the lives of hundreds of thousands of women annually. At a time when global health faces a crisis of underfunding and competing priorities, we must base our work on robust data, pursuing cost-effective, evidence-informed strategies to advance maternal health.
The vast majority of maternal deaths are concentrated in low-income and lower-middle-income countries, underscoring the need to scale up proven interventions and ensure equitable access to quality maternal care. Scaling up quality midwifery models of care is a critical, sustainable and cost-effective solution; investing in well-trained and supported midwives has proven to significantly reduce maternal mortality by providing essential antenatal, delivery and postnatal care.
At this event, hosted in partnership with the Governments of Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, Mexico, Sierra Leone, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, as well as the International Confederation of Midwives, UNICEF and the World Health Organization, the release of new maternal mortality data will provide a comprehensive picture of the global situation.
The event, which will feature speakers including UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem, will also mark the launch of the Midwifery Accelerator, a collaborative effort by UNFPA and the International Confederation of Midwives, Jhpiego, UNICEF, the World Health Organization and key programme countries and partners. The plan provides a strategic framework for collaboration to strengthen midwifery models of care, addressing the barriers to access and ensuring that every woman has access to quality midwifery services.
You can watch the side event here and learn more about other UNFPA side events here.
