On a warm August morning in Istanbul, with the help of a team of skilled midwives and doctors, Ezgi welcomed her son into the world. Her newborn was among the 1.2 million babies born in Türkiye that year.
Throughout her pregnancy, birth and postpartum period, Ezgi received invaluable support from a knowledgeable midwife who supported her over several months. The midwife educated Ezgi about her options for delivery, taught her pain management techniques, supported her in making decisions – such as to initiate skin-to-skin contact with her baby immediately after birth – and helped her with breastfeeding.
To the midwife, Ezgi’s emotional needs were as important as the baby’s needs. Even after Ezgi was discharged from the hospital, the midwife continued to be a source of support, which was incredibly important given that Ezgi was a first-time mother.
Ezgi’s story is a testament to the importance of well educated and skilled midwives for the physical and mental well-being of both mothers and children. This story is not unique; women across the WHO European Region share similar experiences when they have access to midwifery care. Evidence shows that midwifery, when provided by educated, trained, regulated, licensed professionals, is associated with improved quality of care and rapid and sustained reductions in maternal and newborn mortality.
Advancing midwifery education
The quality of education for midwives is a critical factor in ensuring they possess the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to provide safe and effective care to women and newborns during childbirth.
To ensure quality education for midwives, it is important to have well established and accredited midwifery education programmes that meet international standards. Ongoing professional development and continuing education opportunities should also be available to midwives to keep their knowledge and skills up to date.
As Associate Professor at Cumhuriyet University’s Midwifery Department and in her work at the International Confederation of Midwives, Burcu Yurtsal is committed to advancing the profession through education – 1 of the 4 policy priorities for the health and care workforce globally and in the Region. The ripple effect that midwifery services have among populations and national health systems is what drives Burcu, giving her work meaning and instilling hope for the future.
“When I see how hard-working and passionate my midwifery students are, I am confident that we’ll have a workforce that can meet the needs of women in the future. But we cannot stop here. We need to strive for excellence in education, improving every day. With our academic degrees at the University, we are determined to train and educate our future midwives based on the needs of the women in our country,” she explains.
Burcu adds, “My vision is that in the future, all women in Türkiye can choose to deliver their babies with the support of a midwife and that uncomplicated births become less medicalized.”
Investing in midwifery education to meet international standards is a cost-effective way to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes while reducing the burden on health-care systems by reducing the need for costly and unnecessary interventions.
To meet international standards, midwifery education must include significant hands-on experience, including conducting a large volume of prenatal examinations and caring for at least 20 pregnant women throughout their pregnancy journey. Midwifery graduates should also be equipped to assist with complicated births and newborns requiring special care.
Addressing a shortage of midwives in the Region
The COVID-19 pandemic has created new opportunities for providing midwifery education and services. To improve access to education and enhance the quality of care provided by midwives, it is crucial to leverage these opportunities, including innovative digital technologies.
However, ensuring that there are enough midwives who can meet the needs of the population is a challenge in parts of the Region. WHO/Europe’s flagship report “Health and care workforce in Europe: time to act” outlines that the midwifery profession had the lowest growth rate in the Region in recent years.
To address this challenge, investments are needed to increase the number of midwifery graduates, facilitate faculty development, and create educational policies to ensure deployment and retention in rural and remote communities.
Every woman should be able to experience childbirth with the help of skilled hands, just as Ezgi did. Now is the time to act – to invest in midwifery education and ensure that every woman has access to the care and support she needs during one of the most important moments of her life.