The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has announced that while the world needs 900,000 midwives, many of the women and girls who rely on them are being overlooked.
In a statement shared on its X (formerly Twitter) account, the organization wrote that midwives save lives in times of crisis, and trained midwives working in fully functional settings can prevent up to two-thirds of maternal and newborn deaths.
The statement further added that midwives are capable of delivering 90% of all essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, and newborn health services.
Despite their importance, UNFPA noted that midwives make up only 10% of the global health workforce due to underinvestment and lack of support.
The organization emphasized that since 2008, it has been working with partners and governments to build a workforce of “well-trained and well-supported midwives in low-resource settings.”
UNFPA also stated that it is committed to “strengthing midwifery education, creating an enabling environment and regulatory mechanisms for midwives, and preparing midwives to deliver integrated and comprehensive sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, and adolescent health services.”
This critical need for midwives comes as Afghanistan ranks seventh in the world for the highest maternal mortality rate.
Since returning to power, the Taliban’s caretaker government has not only imposed social and legal restrictions on women and girls but has also closed the doors of schools and universities to them.
Furthermore, in the winter of 2024 (1403 in the Solar Hijri calendar), the current government banned girls from studying at private medical institutes.
This decision sparked reactions from the World Health Organization and human rights organizations. The WHO stated in a press release that banning girls from medical education could cripple Afghanistan’s healthcare system.
