On 02 May 2019, the Ministry of Health of the Royal Government of Cambodia celebrated Midwives' Day with the support of the World Health Organization and other health partners.
The Cambodian people compare ‘delivering a baby’ to ‘crossing the river’, reflecting the challenges women face when giving birth. This year’s event had as its theme “Midwives: Defenders of Women’s Rights” - reflecting the crucial role that midwives play to help women and newborns navigate pregnancy and childbirth safely. Midwives are also important in helping to create the foundation for life-long good health for children.
Midwives play a critical role in ensuring that women can decide on their sexual and reproductive lives by themselves. These include decisions over whether, when, and how many children they want to have. The work of midwives in Cambodia contributed greatly to the realization of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 (reduce child mortality) and 5 (improve maternal health).
Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen signed a sub-degree in 2008 establishing 5 May as the National Day of Midwives to show Cambodia’s debt to midwives and to emphasize their important role as a health protecting and promoting agent.
The key aims of this year’s celebration are to emphasize the role of women in advancing women’s right to health, to raise more awareness about midwives’ responsibilities in protecting women, and to share knowledge and build stronger networks among midwives.
WHO was pleased to contribute to the organization of the celebration by providing financial and technical support. WHO would like to extend its gratitude and appreciation to midwives across Cambodia for their lifesaving contributions. Future success in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health will require the continuous efforts of all midwives and other health workers.