This document is the executive summary of the implementation manual for developing a national network of maternity units and aims to give the key messages of the manual.
Also in this series:
The world is currently facing an acute shortage of 900,000 midwives, which represents a third of the required global midwifery workforce. The COVID-19 crisis has only exacerbated these problems, with the health needs of women and newborns being overshadowed, midwifery services being disrupted and midwives being deployed to other health services.
News
04 May 2021
Colour indicates the number of midwives per 10,000 population. "Midwives" includes midwifery professionals, midwifery associate professionals, midwives not further defined, nursing professionals with midwifery training and nursing associate professionals with midwifery training
Click on a country to view key data and access the SoWMy 2021 country profile



The designations employed and the presentation of material on the map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNFPA concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the parties.
Statement
05 May 2021
News
01 April 2021
News
10 March 2021
Publication date
Sep 2020
Author
UNFPA
Resources
This document is the executive summary of the implementation manual for developing a national network of maternity units and aims to give the key messages of the manual.
Also in this series:
News
11 February 2021
News
28 December 2020
Publication date
Dec 2020
Author
Andrea Nove, Ingrid K Friberg, Luc de Bernis, Fran McConville, Allisyn C Moran, Maria Najjemba, Petra ten Hoope-Bender, Sally Tracy, Caroline SE Homer
Resources
This infographic highlights key findings from a new study led by UNFPA, WHO and the International Confederation of Midwives, published in the Lancet Global Health on 1 December 2020. The study discusses the potential impact of increasing coverage rates of midwife delivered interventions in preventing and saving millions of maternal and newborn lives, unsafe abortions and still births.