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| A Rwandan midwife explaining to a postpartum woman how to better position her baby for breastfeeding. Credit: Photographed by Jacques Nkinzingabo for the International Confederation of Midwives. |
By The International Confederation of Midwives.
A new peer-reviewed study says that midwifery-led care is not a policy option, but instead an evidence-based requirement to prevent millions of unnecessary deaths. This week in Lisbon, thousands of midwives will gather to demand action.
Editor's Note: This article is based on a press release issued by the International Confederation of Midwives. Shades of Us supports the conference because it brings attention to the urgent need for greater investment in midwifery and maternal healthcare worldwide.
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June 11, 2026, Lisbon, Portugal – Midwives from across the globe are gathering in Lisbon to address a current shortage of nearly 980,000 midwives across 181 countries. Evidence in a recent study shows that by 2030, filling this gap could save up to 4.3 million lives each year, which includes 67 percent of maternal deaths, 64 percent of newborn deaths, and 65 percent of stillbirths.
“This is not a future risk. It is a present reality,” said Anna af Ugglas, Chief Executive of the International Confederation of Midwives. “Nearly one million missing midwives means care becomes rushed and fragmented. This is a quality and safety issue for women and babies.”
The 34th Triennial Congress of the International Confederation of Midwives opens in Lisbon, with more than 3,000 midwives, policymakers, researchers, and health leaders from over 115 countries. Participants will share research and evidence to support the theme of “The World Needs One Million More Midwives.”
What the Research Shows
A peer-reviewed editorial published in Sexual & Reproductive HealthCare (Elsevier) states that transitioning to midwifery models of care is an evidence-based requirement for protecting women’s and newborns’ lives. This timely piece, authored by Justine Le Lez, Anna af Ugglas, and Malin Bogren, finds that the maternity care systems in many countries remain fragmented, over-medicalized, and disrespectful to the women they serve.
Midwife-led, woman-centered care addresses these challenges directly. Midwifery services improve maternal and newborn outcomes, reduce unnecessary interventions, and increase women’s satisfaction with their health care. However, across regions, midwives report increasing pressure as workforce gaps grow and demand for care rises.
“In many settings, midwives are educated but not employed or enabled to practise fully, leaving women without access to the care they need,” said Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, Chief Midwife of the ICM
The authors call on governments and international institutions to move on four fronts, including sustained political commitment, enabling regulatory frameworks, investment in the midwifery workforce, and genuine engagement with women and communities.
Where the Shortage Hits Hardest
The global midwife shortfall is not evenly distributed across the globe. Africa carries 46 percent of the global shortage, where nine in ten women do not have access to a midwife.
The Americas are missing up to 85 percent of needed midwives, the Eastern Mediterranean leaves around 69 percent of midwifery needs unmet, and Europe faces persistent shortages in multiple countries, including well-resourced health systems.
Why Midwives are Essential to Women-centered Care
According to the WHO, midwifery models of care offer skilled, knowledgeable, and compassionate care for childbearing women, newborn infants, and families across the continuum throughout pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and the early weeks of life. Additionally, midwives are trained to provide up to 90 percent of essential sexual and reproductive health services in a way that is cost-effective, sustainable, and rights-respecting.
Midwives often feel the impact of external shocks before others, given their position as first-response health workers. Climate events, disease outbreaks, and funding cuts hit maternity care first, and the current shortage means there is a decreased buffer when the next crisis arrives.
“Midwives work at the heart of their communities, so they often see the impact of a crisis before it reaches the wider health system. When climate events, disease outbreaks, conflict, or funding cuts disrupt health services, midwives help keep essential care available, trusted, and close to home.”
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72-Year History of Advancing Midwifery
Since 1954, this unique gathering has brought together midwives, policymakers, researchers, and health leaders to present an evidence base for strengthening the midwife profession across the globe. The Congress runs from 14 – 18 June at the Lisbon Congress Centre.
The Congress hosts several significant launches, including:
A global march for One Million Midwives
The Lancet Series on Postpartum Haemorrhage, by the PPH Action Network
The Global Professional Association Consortium for SRMNAH
The Sample Curriculum for Midwifery, a joint UNFPA and ICM publication
The first Global Competencies for Midwifery Leadership
The 2026 Congress is co-hosted with APEO, the Portuguese Association of Obstetric Nurses.
About the International Confederation of Midwives
The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) is the global voice for midwives. It represents more than 135 midwives’ associations across over 115 countries. ICM’s vision is a world where every woman, newborn, and adolescent has access to competent midwives’ care, and every midwife is enabled to provide equitable, rights-based health care.
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Media Contacts
Ana Gutierrez Fernandez | a.gutierrez@internationalmidwives.org | +34 684147713
Daniela Drandic | d.drandic@internationalmidwives.org
Congress: midwives2026.org
ICM: internationalmidwives.org
Petition: millionmore.org/petition
PUSH Campaign: pushcampaign.org
Source Study: Martin R. Boyce, Andrea Nove, Daniela Drandić, Jessica White, Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, Anna af Ugglas, “A critical crisis persists: Updated estimate of global midwife shortage requires urgent action”, Elsevier, Women and Birth, Volume 39, Issue 1, 2026 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1871519226000028)
Source editorial: Le Lez J, af Ugglas A, Bogren M. “Transitioning to Midwifery Models of Care: An Evidence-Based Imperative for Sexual and Reproductive Health.” Sexual & Reproductive HealthCare. Elsevier, January 2026. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41558901/)
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Shades of Us supports this conference because it highlights one of the most urgent yet underreported challenges facing women and families worldwide: the critical shortage of midwives. At a time when millions of preventable maternal and newborn deaths could be avoided through greater investment in midwifery-led care, this gathering serves as an important platform for advocacy, research, and action. The issues being discussed are especially relevant to communities across Africa, where the shortage is most severe and access to quality maternal healthcare remains uneven. By elevating the voices of midwives and championing women-centered care, the conference aligns with Shades of Us’ commitment to advancing equity, amplifying stories that affect women’s well-being, and supporting solutions that strengthen communities for generations to come.
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