IDM-2016

“Women and Newborns: the Heart of Midwifery”
Background:

Every year, millions of women and newborns around the world are cared for by skilled midwives. Every day, thousands of babies are born, mothers are taken care of and lives are saved by midwives. Every May 5th, we dedicate one day to remind the world of these everyday achievements. On the International Day of the Midwife, Midwives celebrate the successes of midwives and focus on recognizing the importance of midwifery. It is also a day to reiterate and call attention to the improvements still needed to ensure that all women have access to a qualified midwife.

First commemorated on the 5th of May 1992, IDM celebrates midwives around the world and salute and appreciates their unique services for mothers and babies. Midwives provide essential reproductive health care for women and newborns in urban and rural setting, often in remote areas where other facilities are not available and resources are scarce. Midwives work with competency, confidence and compassion to provide respectful and high quality care and women and newborn are at the heart of such care.