Desirous to close the midwives shortage gap in Nigeria by 2030, the United Nations Population Fund has disclosed that about 70,000 more midwives are needed.
UNFPA made this known in a press statement by the Executive Director, Dr Natalia Kanem issued in commemoration of the 2023 International Day of the Midwife with the theme ‘Together again: from evidence to reality.’
IDM is celebrated May five and it is a day dedicated to appreciating midwives for their unwavering commitment to saving lives and ensuring the health and wellbeing of women and newborn babies.
“The 2021 State of the World’s Midwifery report puts the midwives shortage in Nigeria at about 30,000 which is 6 per 10,000 people. To close the gap by 2030, about 70,000 more midwives posts are needed but with current estimates, only 40,000 more will be created by 2030. This shortage is particularly acute in Northern Nigeria where essential needs for maternal and reproductive health care are unmet.”
She stressed that the consequences of not having enough skilled midwives are alarming.
She highlighted in a world that sees a woman die every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth, access to skilled midwives is one of the most important ways to avert preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
“If every pregnant woman had access to a well-trained, caring midwife, we would be much closer to a world where every childbirth is safe.
Instead, many health systems continue to marginalize this mostly female workforce and treat midwives poorly in terms of pay, working conditions and opportunities to cultivate skills.
“This, along with a global shortage of 900,000 midwives, reflects an assumption that they are not essential healthcare workers. Nothing could be further from the truth.” She submitted.
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