Thirty-eight of 58 countries surveyed may fail to meet their target of 95 percent coverage by skilled attendants by 2015 unless an additional 120,000 midwives are trained, deployed and retained. A new report also indicates that upgrading midwifery services could save more than 3.6 million lives each year by 2015.
The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), the worldwide professional association of midwives, is holding their first meeting in Africa this week, in Durban, South Africa. The focus is on ensuring the women of the world have safe pregnancies and increased access to medical services.
One in 13 women in the Democratic Republic of Congo dies in pregnancy or childbirth—one death every half hour of every day. The impact of unsafe abortion is perhaps greatest in countries wracked by a humanitarian emergency or crisis.
Zambia is struggling with high maternal mortality rates, but new information technology will allow providers better access to patients' medical records and may make childbirth safer.
