A major new report on midwifery throughout the world has provided critical insights and data for the midwifery industry.

Released in June by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), The State of the World’s Midwifery 2011 provides new data gathered from 58 countries across all regions of the world.

Launched at the Triennial Congress of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) in Durban, South Africa on 20 June, the report confirmed that the world lacks some 350,000 skilled midwives, 112,000 in the neediest 38 countries surveyed, to fully meet the needs of women around the world. As many as 3.6 million lives can be saved every year if midwifery services are improved in 58 developing countries by 2015, according to the findings.

Of the 38 countries in most dire need of midwives, 22 need to double the workforce by 2015; seven need to triple or quadruple it; and nine (Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Guinea, Haiti, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Sudan) need to significantly boost midwifery services by a factor of between 6 and 15. The report also confirmed most deaths or disabilities occurred in low-income countries and happened because women, often poor and marginalised, had no access to functioning health facilities or to qualified health professionals, particularly those with midwifery skills.

From Australia’s perspective, Hannah Dahlen, associate professor of midwifery, University of Western Sydney and the national spokesperson for the Australian College of Midwives, said the report, the first of its kind to be published, provided crucial insights into approaches to midwifery across the globe.

“The college is excited to see midwifery recognised in such a major way both in terms of professional recognition and the immense workforce shortages facing the world when it comes to midwifery.”

Echoing the report’s call for urgent action, Dahlen pointed out that out of the 1000 women dying every day in the world, 99 per cent of them were in the developing world.

“This is not something the world should or can accept.”

The report indicated there were opportunities for Australian trained midwives and midwifery educators to assist countries in need, either through working as midwives in those countries or training midwives in those countries, she said.

“We have strong engagement in overseas work, education of international students and support of higher degree students to help build leadership capacity in developing nations. We are also developing twinning arrangements with nearby countries as support.”

“Australians have most commonly gone to work in the UK but also there are many in developing nations with aid work.”

Successful models in Australian midwifery might be of benefit to other countries, she said.

“Continuity of care where women and midwives work in partnership is becoming a higher priority in our education and in maternity care, which is a great thing. Midwives now can apply for Medicare provider numbers so funding midwifery care gives it huge recognition.”

And while many of the countries covered by the report and most acutely affected by the shortage of midwives were in the developing world, the report also had resonance for the Australian midwifery sector, she said.

“We have a significant workforce shortage in Australia though unfortunately our data is not good enough to say exactly what the shortage is. I am yet to find a maternity unit that has its full midwifery staffing. The last 2002 report said we are 1800 midwives short.”

There were also some ways in which Australia could benefit by emulating models from elsewhere in the world, Dahlen said.

“Australia still falls behind much of the world in its attitude to homebirth and we need to stop ignoring women's right to this birth choice.”

The report highlighted issues universally affecting midwives everywhere, including shortages, insufficient remuneration, and “burn out” due to over work and stress, corroborating many of the issues experienced by Australian midwives.

The State of the World's Midwifery 2011 was coordinated by UNFPA, the United Nations Populations Fund, along with the UK’s University of Southampton, and is the result of collaboration among 30 partners whose collective aim is to strengthen midwifery practices to prevent maternal death and disability, and improve the health of newborns, families, and entire communities.

The report surveyed 58 countries, which together account for just under 60 per cent of all births worldwide, but 91 per cent of all maternal deaths.

http://www.unfpa.org/sowmy/resources/en/main.htm