Midwives Save Lives - global petition

Source: International Confederations of Midwives

ICM has  has joined forces with our partners White Ribbon Alliance and global campaigning charity Save the Children to call on heads of state around the world to increase midwifery resources for education, recruitment and retention.
Over the past two months we have gathered over 5000 signatures in 76 countries, asking governments to commit to increased investment in midwifery education and employment. Copies of the petition are now being handed over to government leaders to help raise the profile of the life saving role of midwives and to generate as much public and political support as possible, before the United Nations General Assembly. 
Petition handovers around the world

In the UK, ICM President Frances Day-Stirk (right) and representatives from WRA and Save the Children handed the petition over to Minister for Development Stephen O'Brien.

• Read ICM President Frances Day-Stirk's blog about the petition and its global importance
• Watch Stephen O'Brien's speech at the hand-over
• Read Save the Children advocacy adviser on the events of the day

In Uganda the Midwifery Association and WRA representatives met with Parliamentary representatives and secured national commitments to increased investment in midwifery

• Read the WRA Blog from Uganda

NEWS RELEASE Global partners stand behind global standards for midwifery

ICM International Confederation of Midwives~s press release:

On the last day of the International Confederation of Midwives Triennial Congress in Durban, South Africa, global agencies have expressed their commitment to work with each other and with ICM to tackle maternal mortality. The UN Population Fund, World Health Organization (WHO), the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and the International Federation of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians (FIGO) have each pledged to support the implementation of ICM’s landmark global standards for midwifery education and regulation as a core strategy to tackle maternal mortality worldwide. Around 350,000 women die each year as a result of preventable complications in pregnancy and childbirth. 99% of these deaths happen in low income countries, many of which are in sub-Saharan Africa. Millennium Development Goal 5 commits countries to delivering significant improvements to maternal health worldwide but has been the slowest moving of all the MDGs so far.

 ‘Evidence shows that access to competent, educated and strong midwives significantly reduces maternal and infant mortality.’ said Bridget Lynch, President.  ‘ICM set out on the Road to Durban three years ago, committed to reaching our destination with the tools needed to help governments around the world tackle unacceptable rates of maternal and infant mortality. Since then, we have worked with midwives of the world and our global partners to make sure we arrived with these tools in our hands. I am proud to say that we are now the first health profession in the world to have achieved global standards for the competency, education and regulation of our workforce. These, alongside the information provided by the UNFPA’s State of the World Midwifery Report will be essential to the achievement of each countries maternal mortality target.’

International Day of the Midwife 2011 ( Summary by PMNHC)

The Partnership PMNCH The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child  Health which is part if WHO Initiative to reach Millenium Developements Goals 2015 published article about International Day of the Midwife organised by ICM International Confederation of Midwives on May 5th, 2011.

"More than 22,000 people in 31 countries are marching for midwifery to commemorate International Day of the Midwife this year. The International Confederation of Midwives has asked member associations, midwives and their supporters around the world to take to the streets on and around 5 May 2011 to raise awareness and build commitments toward tackling global inequalities in maternal and newborn mortality and to highlight local issues in midwifery service provision."

Definition of the Midwife

This is definition of  the Midwife by ICM: International Confederation of Midwives, which is the largest professional  midwifery organization.

Midwifery is specialised and independent branch of health care system, providing primary care for physiological (healthy) pregnant, labouring and women after delivery, including care of newborns.