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By amelia Rodriguez | GENEVA – 2025/06/19 20:51:28

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new guidance advocating for the adoption and expansion of midwifery models of care to improve maternal and newborn health. This approach emphasizes the role of midwives as primary care providers for women and babies throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period.

The guidance highlights the importance of strong communication and partnership between women and midwives,noting the health advantages for both. Women who receive care from trusted midwives are more likely to experience healthy vaginal births and report greater satisfaction with their care.

According to Dr. Anshu Banerjee, Director for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at WHO, investing in midwifery models is a highly effective strategy for improving maternal and newborn health globally. “expanding and investing in midwifery models of care is one of the most effective strategies to improve maternal and newborn health globally,” said Dr. Anshu Banerjee, Director for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at WHO. “These approaches improve outcomes, maximize resources, and can be adapted across different countries, enhancing the care experience for women and families.”

A Proven, Cost-Effective Solution

“Skilled midwives help women trust in their bodies, their abilities, and their care.”

Despite progress, maternal and newborn deaths remain unacceptably high, especially in low-income and fragile settings. Recent modeling suggests that universal access to skilled midwives could prevent over 60% of these deaths,potentially saving 4.3 million lives annually by 2035.

Midwifery care prioritizes informed choice, communication, and non-invasive techniques, such as mobility during labor, breathing guidance, varied birthing positions, and emotional support, empowering women and reducing the need for invasive procedures.

Midwifery models also address concerns about the over-medicalization of childbirth. While interventions like caesarean sections, inductions, and forceps are essential in certain cases, their routine or excessive use can create health risks. In some countries, caesarean rates exceed 50%, indicating a high number of potentially unnecessary procedures.

Ulrika Rehnstrom Loi, Midwifery expert at WHO, emphasizes that skilled midwives help women trust their bodies and abilities. “Skilled midwives help women trust in their bodies, their abilities, and their care,” said Ulrika Rehnstrom Loi, Midwifery expert at WHO and technical lead for the guidance. “This is why investing in midwifery models of care is so vital – it not only improves health but builds a cadre of experts who provide individualized,respectful care,ensuring women are consistently part of decision making and have access to the information they need as well as vital emotional support.”

practical Tools for implementation

The new guidance offers practical tools and examples to help countries transition to midwifery models of care,calling for strong political commitment,strategic planning,and long-term financing with dedicated budget lines. It also stresses the importance of high-quality midwifery regulation and education aligned with international standards, supporting autonomous, evidence-based practice.

Successful implementation requires strong collaboration, empowering midwives to work independently while integrating them into healthcare teams with doctors and nurses. In case of complications, midwives should partner with other professionals to ensure quality multidisciplinary care for every woman and baby.

A Global Imperative

Globally, many women still give birth without skilled health workers, and a significant portion do not receive the recommended pregnancy checks. Progress in reducing maternal and newborn mortality has largely stagnated as 2016.

Anna Ugglas, Chief Executive of the International confederation of Midwives, states that midwifery models are a necessity, offering a person-centered, evidence-based approach that respects the physiological process of birth, restores dignity and autonomy to maternity care, and ensures safety for women and newborns. “Midwifery models of care are not just smart solutions – they are a necessity,” said anna Ugglas, Chief Executive of the International Confederation of Midwives, which supported the development of the guidance. “In a world where childbirth is increasingly medicalized, they offer a person-centred, evidence-based approach that respects the physiological process of birth, restores dignity and autonomy to maternity care, and helps ensure safety for women and newborns everywhere.”

The guidance outlines several adaptable models of midwifery care, including:

• Continuity of care: Women are supported by a known midwife or team throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period.
• Midwife-led birth centers: Dedicated facilities where midwives provide care for women at low risk of complications, also offering antenatal and postnatal care or family planning.
• Community-based approaches: Midwives deliver services directly in communities via mobile units or local health centers.
• Private practice: private midwives operate independently or through organizations, requiring regulation and integration into national health systems to be effective.