Monday May 5 is International Day of the Midwife—a global day to recognize the midwifery model of care and the professionals who lead in this work. This year, the International Confederation of Midwives has chosen Midwives: Critical in Every Crisis as the theme to help highlight the importance of midwifery practice in the face of instability. It’s a salient theme, that positions midwives as essential healthcare professionals on every continent.
Global crises, conflict, natural disasters, and political instability often disproportionately affect women, girls, and gender diverse people. During humanitarian crises, midwives are community-embedded first responders, providing sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health services, usually with minimal resources.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has consistently advocated for the expansion of midwifery care globally. It is estimated that 287,000 women die due to pregnancy complications or during childbirth each year; 2.3 million babies die within the first month of life, and nearly 2 million more are lost to stillbirth. Recent WHO modelling suggests that universal access to midwifery care could prevent more than 60% of all maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths. WHO messaging is clear: Midwives protect rights and save lives, and all efforts must be made to ensure they are appropriately trained, registered, licensed, and resourced.
Closer to home, the work of midwives in our Island communities is imperative to individual and public health. Contemplating how this year’s theme applies to registered midwives (RMs) in our region, Yarra Vostrcil, Midwifery Department Head, notes how deftly midwives responded to an unexpected shortage of primary care providers working in intrapartum care in 2023: “Island Health was quick to turn a healthcare human resourcing crisis into an opportunity for workforce optimization—the In-house Registered Midwife program at Victoria General Hospital is an innovative approach that has helped to stabilise maternity services. It is staffed by midwives from across the region, who continue to provide essential care and services to pregnant and labouring people in Victoria”.
RMs are key members of a multidisciplinary perinatal care team. They are vital to a health system’s ability to withstand a crisis by bolstering resilience through knowledge and expertise. Across Island Health, 129 midwives provide more than 40% of primary perinatal care at 9 sites. As medical staff members, RMs help to ensure safer births and quality patient care by incorporating principles that are unique to the midwifery model of care.
Midwives protect rights and save lives. On May 5, Island Health celebrates and expresses gratitude to the RMs working within our region.