Investing in care provided by midwives is one of the most effective and sustainable strategies to improve maternal and newborn health and strengthen health systems. Educated, licensed and regulated midwives working in supportive health systems can deliver around 90 per cent of essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services, at lower cost compared to standard medical care. As highlighted in the Midwifery Accelerator, expanding access to quality midwifery care is critical to accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 on health and well-being and SDG 5 on gender equality, and optimizing resource use in financially constrained environments. Beyond health impacts, investing in care provided by midwives generates substantial social and economic returns, including stronger workforces, reduced healthcare costs, and healthier, more resilient communities. However, a global shortage of midwives and limited enabling environments restrict their potential. Strategic, sustained investments are needed to strengthen midwifery professions, expand the workforce, and fully integrate midwives into health systems to maximize impact.
The Investment Case Framework for Care Provided by Midwives supports governments, health planners and partners in building a strong, evidence-based case for introducing or scaling up Midwifery Models of Care. The framework provides practical guidance to estimate the costs, workforce requirements, health impacts and economic benefits of investing in care provided by midwives within national contexts. It outlines seven key steps to develop a country investment case: conducting a situation analysis, defining a package of care provided by midwives, estimating health impacts and costs, assessing workforce requirements, estimating health and economic benefits, calculating return on investment, and identifying the contextual conditions needed to enable midwives to deliver high-quality care.
This framework helps countries translate global evidence into actionable national investment strategies. By analysing both health and economic returns, it enables governments and partners to align or mobilize resources, strengthen policy planning and advocate for increased and sustained investment in midwifery.
********
Country-level policy briefs and implementation reports derived from this framework will be published here as they become available, showcasing evidence-based results from national health systems.
