Devex: Opinion: Invest in midwives to improve global health
Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, former president of the United Republic of Tanzania, and Toyin Ojora-Saraki, founder of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa

“…[I]f all women gave birth with a midwife in a facility capable of providing basic emergency care, it is estimated that 56 percent of maternal, fetal, and newborn deaths could be prevented. That’s a million lives each year. So why are midwives still chronically underfunded and undervalued by governments and society at large? … Midwives offer an affordable, practical solution to improving community health outcomes, so it is baffling that midwives lack the political will and support from leaders around the world who claim to protect women and children. … We therefore call on all governments that value their citizens, and all citizens who value their families, to enact policy and dedicate funding to midwives. With the right support, regulation, and training, governments can give midwives the resources they need to save lives before, during and after a woman gives birth, and to enrich the medical profession as a whole…” (6/19).