News & Announcement – ICM Press Release - Call to Action to G20 and G8 Leaders

10 June 2010

World Summit on Midwifery Calls for Action to Save Lives and Promote Health of Women and Newborns

Some of the world's most influential midwives, along with partner organisations such as UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA, JIPHEGO and FIGO have called on Governments to provide midwife education and training in the essential competencies for basic midwifery practice. The Washington 'summit' also concluded that legislative and regulatory frameworks had to be strengthened to ensure appropriate standards of practice. (The full summary of the Call for Action is attached to this news release.)
 
Announcing the results of the 'summit', Bridget Lynch, President of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), said that the historic midwifery symposium spoke with a united voice to the G8 and G20 leaders to provide long term support for countries seeking to strengthen their midwifery workforce.
 
Bridget Lynch said "There has been no midwifery regulation in some of the lowest resource countries for decades but now we can address the needs of midwifery globally and move forward"
 
Education, training and supervision of members of the community health team undertaking midwifery duties had to be undertaken by qualified midwives.
 
"From here, we will work with our partner organisation to establish global standards for midwifery education and regulation, and support countries to improve midwifery standards" added the ICM President.
 
Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, Thoraya Obaid, announced that her organisation was increasing its involvement in the ICM/UNFPA midwifery programmes to 30 countries (from 15 at present).

She said, "It is more important than ever that policy makers are aware of the important role that midwives play" and called for policy makers and strategic developers to bring midwives to the table.

Ms Obaid said that her commitment to the ICM would continue and that, together with other partners, she wanted to see an extra 350,000 midwives recruited and educated.

Midwife Laxmi Tamay from Nepal said that too many women suffered from ill health and died in childbirth in her country. 
The new initiative could help midwifery become more recognised as a profession in Nepal. "Women are treated more like animals during pregnancy and childbirth and it is now time for them to be treated as first class citizens"
 
Precious Robinson from south Africa endorsed the proposal for Education and Training, Strengthening Regulation, and strengthening initiatives for recruitment, retention and deployment.  Midwife Precious said that she had decided to become a midwife at a young age on hearing that her mother had died following the birth of her sister. “I am committed to reducing mortality and morbidity in my own country and to work towards safer childbirth. Now is the time for midwives to be caring, sharing and daring"

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