But despite its critical role, UN support is under a serious threat due to serious financing cuts.
Every year, three quarters of all maternal deaths occur in just 25 countries, most of them located in Sub -South Africa and Asia del Sur, according to the UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA.
The midwives are often the first and only responders who provide attention to save lives to pregnant women and their newborns in crisis environments, where the risk of dying during pregnancy or childbirth doubles.
Fund cuts are now forcing UNFPA to reduce their support for gut. In eight of the affected countries, the agency can only finance 47 percent of the 3,521 midwives that were intended to support in 2025.
In the first line
In times of crisis, women often lose critical access to vital motherhood services. Reach the rescue in the most direct of the circumstances and serve as a lifeguard for pregnant women, “Midwives save lives,” he said Natalia KanemExecutive Director of UNFPA.
The UN support for midwives in humanitarian environments includes training, supplies and equipment and, in some cases, transport for mobile health clinics. All this is having to cut in the midst of financing cuts.
“When crises attack and systems break, midwives take a step forward“Said UNFPA, who marked International Measured day.
Fund cuts
In the midst of a global shortage of almost a million midwives, the increase in mortality rates between women and newborns in conflict areas and fragile contexts is now informed after budget cuts.
“They are missing everything, from blood bags to medications. With the support of UNFPA and other partners, we can still provide services, but for how long?“Said Fabrice Bishnge, director of the Kyeshero General Hospital in East of Dr. Congo.
Deaths during childbirth in fragile environments and affected by the conflict now represent 60 percent of all maternal deaths worldwide. Throughout the world, deep fund cuts only exacerbate this trend. In Yemen, for example, about 590,000 women The age of motherhood is expected to lose access to a hole.
The waiting room of a maternity hospital in the province of Herat, Afghanistan.
New initiative
In the light of the current financing crisis, the UNFPA and the partners recently launched the global gutter accelerator, a coordinated initiative to expand the care directed by midwives in countries with the highest maternal mortality rates.
The initiative establishes a profitable roadmap focused on saving lives and strengthening national health systems, even in the most fragile contexts.
Making an urgent call for greater financing, training and defense of Partería, the UNFPA emphasized that the universal health coverage directed by midwives could avoid two thirds of maternal and newborn deaths, reduce medical care costs and lead to more productive labor forces.
