UNFPA reaffirms support for midwifery education and workforce development in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said on Monday that it remains committed to helping Pakistan strengthen midwifery education, workforce development and health systems.

In a statement issued to mark the International Day of the Midwife on May 5, UNFPA Representative in Pakistan Dr Luay Shabaneh said the agency would continue working closely with the government and other stakeholders to move this agenda forward.

Dr Shabaneh said Pakistan had an opportunity to expand midwifery education, increase the scale of the B.S. Midwifery Programme, improve training standards and ensure that recruitment and deployment take place where the need is greatest. He also called for midwives to be fully incorporated into the health system through defined career paths, professional recognition and leadership roles.

He said midwives should receive fair pay, legal protection and priority in health-sector planning and budgeting. Stressing the importance of skilled care, he said, "The path forward is clear, the evidence is strong and the returns are undeniable. The question is not whether we can afford to invest in midwives, but whether we can afford not (to do) so."

He added, "Let us stand with our midwives by protecting them, valuing their contribution and enabling them to reach their full potential, investing not only in health, but in the dignity, prosperity and future of Pakistan."

Describing access to skilled midwifery care as a basic right, Dr Shabaneh said, "Access to skilled midwifery care is a fundamental right. No woman should lose her life while giving life, and termed midwives guardians of life at its most critical moments, saying they help protect mothers, newborns and families while supporting health and well-being beyond childbirth. According to the UNFPA representative, midwives are often the first and most trusted source of care in rural and underserved parts of Pakistan. He said they provide skilled support, help prevent complications, identify risks at an early stage and ensure timely referrals during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. At the same time, he said the situation facing midwives in Pakistan remains concerning. Dr Shabaneh noted that Pakistan accounts for about four per cent of global maternal deaths and that nearly 100 women die for every 100,000 live births, mostly due to preventable causes. He further said the country is short of nearly 82,000 midwives and currently has only 2.2 midwives per 10,000 people, which he said is half the global average. These are not just statistics, he said. They represent lives lost, families changed forever and a gap that must and can be closed."

Dr Shabaneh said that when midwives are properly educated, supported and integrated into the health system, they can provide most essential maternal and newborn health services, reduce preventable deaths, improve health outcomes and reinforce primary healthcare.

He also described investment in midwives as a smart economic decision, saying it can reduce expensive emergency care, ease pressure on hospitals, improve workforce productivity and strengthen families and communities, with long-term benefits for both human and economic development.

However, he said midwives in Pakistan are too often expected to shoulder these responsibilities without adequate backing, including access to essential equipment, medicines, supervision, safe working conditions and fair compensation.

Separately, a press release said an advanced midwifery clinical skills training programme was launched in Tharparkar in March. The initiative aims to improve maternal and neonatal healthcare services in one of Sindh’s most underserved areas.