Health Experts Say Poorer Countries Lack Midwives to Cut Newborn Deaths Susan Heavey - Reuters
go to original June 6, 2014

2011 was a monumental year for professional midwifery in Mexico. A new law passed the Mexican Senate recognized midwifery as a profession, and included professional midwives in the public health sector. (brownbear2536)

The majority of the world's poorer countries, which account for nearly all childbirth-related deaths among newborns and mothers, are facing a critical shortage of professional midwives who could ease the problem, global health experts said this week.

Among 73 lower and middle income nations, just four - Armenia, Colombia, Dominican Republic and Jordan - have adequate resources in place, according to a review led by the United Nations Populations Fund and the World Health Organization.

"More than three-quarters face serious shortages that will result in unnecessary deaths of women and babies," Frances Day-Stirk, president of the International Confederation of Midwives, told reporters on a conference call.

Midwives, who are trained to deliver babies and provide medical care before and after pregnancy, can provide most of the services needed for women and newborns, experts said. That is critical to relieve pressure on doctors, especially in areas where medical resources are scarce or difficult to access.

In 2013, there were an estimated 2.6 million stillbirths, 3 million newborn deaths and 289,000 maternal deaths. More than 92 percent of those deaths occurred in the countries reviewed, the groups said in their "State of the World’s Midwifery" report.

Read the rest at Reuters

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!