PRESS RELEASE
UN Deputy Secretary-General and UNFPA Executive Director honor midwives at Kenya’s largest maternity hospital on International Day of the Midwife
Nairobi, 5 May 2023 - The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, and UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem today visited Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi to mark the International Day of the Midwife. With over 100 midwives on staff, Pumwani Maternity Hospital is the largest maternity hospital in East Africa, conducting more than 20,000 deliveries annually. The UN leaders praised the midwives at Pumwani and across the globe, for their steadfast commitment to ensuring the health and well-being of women and newborns.
"Midwives save lives and play a vital role in the health of their local communities. Today we salute the midwives we met at Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi and all midwives around the world," stated Ms. Mohammed. Access to qualified midwives is a critical factor in reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths. Although midwives provide 90% of sexual and reproductive health services, they represent less than 10% of the global sexual, reproductive, maternal, and newborn health workforce.
"There is currently a global shortage of nearly a million midwives. Governments must act quickly to close this treacherous gap and invest in midwifery through education, training, and fair wages. Midwives deserve the support of all of us as they perform the life-saving work they do every day," said Dr. Natalia Kanem.
During their visit to Pumwani Maternity Hospital, Ms. Mohammed and Dr. Kanem also met with representatives from the Ministry of Health and the Midwives Association of Kenya, as well as new mothers receiving post-natal care. They included Nancy Minayo, a 35-year-old woman who delivered twin babies safely with the assistance of midwives at Pumwani. “I feel grateful to have my babies in my arms after a challenging pregnancy. It means a lot to be able to deliver in a hospital where help from experienced midwives is readily available,” she said.
in honor of the life-saving work of midwives at Pumwani Maternity hospital .
UNFPA and partners are collaborating with the Kenyan government and non-governmental partners to help establish a competent, well-trained and well-supported midwifery workforce in Kenya. This includes providing a range of maternal and newborn health equipment to enhance the capacity of health facilities in delivering skilled care, including emergency obstetric and newborn care services.
"The International Day of the Midwife gives us a crucial platform to advocate for the interests of midwives," said Midwives Association of Kenya Chairperson Teckla Ngotie. "What we need most are midwife-led interventions that enable us to deliver high-quality, safe and dignified healthcare to women, girls, and newborns, wherever they are in the country."
The Deputy Secretary-General and UNFPA Executive Director were accompanied by UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya Dr. Stephen Jackson, and UNFPA Representative in Kenya Mr. Anders Thomsen.
