Huffington Post: More Midwives Needed to Reduce Maternal Deaths
Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

“…All countries that have achieved dramatic improvements in maternal health share one thing in common: they have greatly improved the provision of professionally trained midwives and skilled birth attendants. … Investing in maternal health yields a triple return on investment as it not only eliminates preventable maternal deaths, but also stillbirths and newborn deaths. … However, many countries with high maternal death rates will make little progress, or will even fall behind over the next 15 years, if we don’t improve the current trajectory of available midwives and other health workers with midwifery skills. … If we don’t make a big push now, in 2030 we’ll be faced, once again, with a missed target for reducing maternal deaths…” (10/27).