05/05/2026
Happy International Day of the Midwife!
Midwives can provide life-saving support even in the most fragile settings — but the world urgently needs more of them. With the right tools and support, midwives can continue delivering essential care when health systems collapse.
Midwives provide care rooted in dignity, consent, and respect. But around the world, there aren’t enough midwives to meet this need.
Midwives help reduce unnecessary caesarean births and other interventions by supporting physiological birth and providing personalised care that protects health and prevents harm. They also ensure that women who do need medical interventions are referred to the right specialist, at the right time.
But the world is short of .
There’s a global shortage of one million midwives. That means millions of people are going without the care they need and deserve. International Day of the Midwife (IDM) is a moment of pride — and a reminder of how much still needs to change. This year, IDM is a call to action — a moment to raise our voices and demand investment in midwives, so more people can access safe, respectful, life-saving care.
