Global Midwife Shortage Threatens Maternal Care Worldwide
The world is indeed facing the heartbreaking shortage of midwives, and I believe that we are seeing the effects of this shortage on so many families that I lose sleep at night worrying about the senseless struggles that they have to endure. According to the latest studies, the world is indeed facing a global midwife shortage of one million midwives, which equates to 980,000 midwives that we currently need. Now, let’s take a look at the numbers to better understand the extent of the shortage. It is clear that the global midwife shortage is one of the most pressing issues affecting maternal health today.
While the shortage of one million midwives is daunting, the largest share of this shortage, which is over 90%, is occurring in low- and middle-income countries, which are already struggling. Africa, for instance, is feeling the pinch the hardest, as they have the largest shortage, which equates to almost half of the global shortage, despite the fact that Africa accounts for less than one-fifth of the world’s women of reproductive age. In Africa, for instance, there is only 40% of the midwives that we need, which means that nine out of ten women in Africa are without the support that they need. Moreover, the global midwife shortage is especially pronounced in these regions.
The Evidence is Out: Why the World Needs One Million More Midwives | International Confederation of Midwives Click to Read More
Other areas, such as the Eastern Mediterranean, have 31% of the midwives that we need, while the Americas have only 15%, which means that the number of midwives that we need in the Americas is sevenfold. Even in Europe and Southeast Asia, the shortage of midwives is still felt, particularly in rural areas, due to factors such as midwife burnout. Overall, tackling the global midwife shortage requires a coordinated international effort.
Why is this happening? Well, it is a combination of many factors which compound one another. Many midwives are subjected to overwhelming workloads, low salaries, and no respect, which leads to many of them burning out and leaving the profession prematurely. In richer nations, many of them emigrate for better prospects, and in poorer nations, there is simply no funding for education and training programs. The COVID-19 pandemic did not help the situation, which already was under strain, and many more midwives left the profession. Another factor is that the field of midwifery is predominantly female dominated, and gender inequality is one of the biggest contributors to the fact that we cannot retain and recruit enough qualified individuals in the field. In short, the global midwife shortage is the result of these interlinked challenges.
What are the effects of the shortage of midwives? They are quite catastrophic, especially during the postpartum period, which is the time of greatest need for the new mom. However, this time is often overlooked in the absence of enough qualified midwives, which leads to many cases of infection, mental health issues like postpartum depression, and even long term health complications for the mom and the baby. This leads to hospitals being overwhelmed, with many cases of rushed childbirth, which in turn leads to unnecessary interventions like C sections that might not even be necessary.
In the worst cases, the shortage of qualified midwives leads to abuse during childbirth, complications, and even death, which no family should ever go through. In the world, 90% of all essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, and adolescent health issues are handled by midwives, and their absence leads to the fragmentation of the whole health system.
But here’s the bright spot in this scenario: we can turn it around with smart actions. Experts are saying that more should be done to increase the education of midwives to increase their competencies to meet the demands of the community, increase job opportunities, and improve migration policies to ensure that these incredible caregivers are in the areas where they are most needed. Governments should invest in the profession to increase its attractiveness with better compensation, work life balance support, and leadership positions in the healthcare system for these incredible women.
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Improving the strength of the global community, such as the community of practices to share knowledge, should also help motivate these incredible women. If universal access to midwife led care is achieved, it could prevent two thirds of maternal and child mortality, as well as stillbirths, resulting in an astonishing 4.3 million lives saved every year by 2035. Even small actions, such as more training places, could save over a million lives every year. Without addressing the global midwife shortage, such outcomes will remain out of reach.
Imagine a world where every new life is greeted with the calm, expert care of a midwife. It is within our reach, starting now. Our midwives are the heartbeat of maternal healthcare; let’s support these incredible women to ensure that the heartbeat keeps going strong for us all.