The Need: A MIDWIFE SHORTAGE IN HAITI
The issue: Haiti’s high maternal and infant morbidity and mortality rates highlight its desperate need for more educated Haitian midwives.
Haiti has a lack of professionally educated midwives. Currently, there are less than 500 professionally educated midwives in the country. That is far from enough.
Midwives have been proven to offer the most cost-effective sexual and reproductive health care. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and the State of the World’s Midwifery report, two thirds of all maternal and newborn deaths could be averted with skilled midwifery care. You read that correctly. Yes. Almost all global maternal deaths could be prevented by ensuring that all women have access to quality, respectful and equitable maternity care. Midwives could deliver 87 percent of all essential sexual, reproductive, maternal and newborn health services.