This blog was written by Dr. Sally Pezaro, Nursing Now Challenge Midwifery Champion
Given that the majority of all maternal deaths, stillbirths, and newborn deaths globally could be averted through the provision of high-quality and safe midwifery care, the provision of high-quality midwifery care is now a global priority (1). Yet we are now in a ‘COVID decade’ (2), where the social, economic, and cultural effects of the pandemic will cast a shadow, particularly with healthcare staff (3).
Today, on 5th May 2021, International Day of the Midwife, the latest ‘State of the Worlds Midwifery’ report has been published. This details a summary of investments needed to enable midwives to achieve their potential. As well as investments in workforce planning, management, regulation, the work environment, midwife-led improvements and education, the report calls for crucial investment in midwifery leadership and governance, through creating senior midwife positions and strengthening institutional capacity for midwives to drive health policy advancements worldwide.
I am excited to become the Nursing Now Challenge ‘Midwifery Champion’. The best is certainly yet to come, and I invite you all to follow the progress as we begin to ramp up our focus on midwives worldwide.
Twitter: @SallyPezaro
- Renfrew, M.J., 2021. Scaling up care by midwives must now be a global priority. The Lancet Global Health, 9 (1), pp.e2-e3.
- British Academy (2021), The COVID decade: Understanding the long-term societal impacts of COVID-19, The British Academy.
- Greenberg N. Managing mental health challenges faced by healthcare workers during covid-19 pandemic. The BMJ. 2020 BMJ Publishing Group.
