The Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa praises the critical role of midwives in maternal and newborn health, especially during crises, while highlighting the urgent need to address the 6.1 million health worker shortfall in the region

The Acting World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, has issued a strong commendation for the vital contributions of midwives across the African continent, recognizing them as the essential frontline guardians of maternal and newborn health.

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In a message released on Monday to commemorate the International Day of the Midwife, themed “Midwives: Critical in Every Crisis” for 2025, Dr. Ihekweazu underscored the indispensable role of midwives in navigating every type of health crisis. He also drew attention to the alarming 6.1 million health worker shortfall projected for the African region.

Dr. Ihekweazu lamented the persistently high maternal and newborn death rates in Africa, emphasizing that the dedicated efforts of midwives have been instrumental in achieving reductions in maternal mortality.

The WHO statistics reveal that over one million newborns and 178,000 mothers tragically die each year in the region.

While South Sudan faces the highest maternal mortality rate globally, Nigeria ranks third with 512 deaths per 100,000 live births.

In his message posted on the WHO website, Dr. Ihekweazu aligned the International Day of the Midwife with the momentum of World Health Day 2025 and its theme, “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures.”

He stressed that this year’s celebration is a call for greater recognition and increased investment in midwives, whom he described as “the people who make healthy beginnings possible.”

“In the African Region, where over one million newborns and 178,000 mothers die each year, midwives are a lifeline,” Dr. Ihekweazu stated.

“They deliver skilled, compassionate care across the entire continuum of reproductive and maternal health, often in the most difficult and resource-limited settings.

Their efforts have been pivotal in reducing maternal mortality, with the regional average dropping from 727 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000, to 442 in 2023.”

He further highlighted that the 2025 theme aptly reflects the challenging realities faced by midwives who often operate within fragile health systems, conflict zones, and amidst natural disasters and pandemics.

“In many cases, they are the only providers of sexual and reproductive health services in their communities,” he added.

“In the African Region, where over one million newborns and 178,000 mothers die each year, midwives are a lifeline. They deliver skilled, compassionate care across the entire continuum of reproductive and maternal health, often in the most difficult and resource-limited settings,” said Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa.

Despite the significant projected shortage of 6.1 million health workers in the African Region by 2030, Dr. Ihekweazu noted encouraging progress.

Between 2013 and 2022, the number of midwives nearly doubled, increasing from 173,269 to over 334,000, a testament to the impact of political will, coordinated investment, and focused strategies.

However, Nigeria is currently grappling with a significant emigration of medical practitioners, with over 7,500 nurses and midwives reportedly leaving the country in the past five years.

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives estimated in 2023 that approximately 70,000 midwives were needed to bridge the gap created by this exodus.

Dr. Ihekweazu affirmed that the WHO continues its close collaboration with Member States to expand competency-based midwifery education, improve workforce density, and integrate midwives into national health and emergency preparedness strategies.

He cited Zimbabwe’s new Investment Compact, which will mobilize an additional $166 million annually for three years to strengthen its health workforce, with midwives at its core, as a positive example.

Despite these advancements, Dr. Ihekweazu emphasized that “still, too many midwives work without proper tools, pay, protections or opportunities for advancement.

Their voices are often excluded from the policy decisions that affect their work, and the lives of the people they serve.”

He urged governments to prioritize the integration of midwives into emergency preparedness plans, ensure their protection during crisis response, and provide them with adequate mental health resources and fair working conditions.

He also called for the evolution of education to equip midwives with essential skills in trauma-informed care, conflict sensitivity, and leadership.

“When midwives are trained, respected and empowered, health systems grow stronger, and every mother and child has a better chance at life,” Dr. Ihekweazu concluded.

“WHO stands with midwives, today and every day. Let us move beyond symbolic recognition. Let’s act, because midwives are not only critical in every crisis. They are essential to every solution.”