In a statement
coinciding with the publication of a new global survey by the WHO,
International Confederation Of Midwives, and the White Ribbon Alliance
Global, H.E. Toyin Saraki, ICM Global Goodwill
Ambassador and Founder, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, has said:
"I welcome the
launch of the WHO "Midwives Voices, Midwives Realities Report 2016" - A
global survey which documents the voices of 2740 Midwives in 93
countries, and describes, from their perspective,
the barriers they experience to providing quality respectful care for
women, newborns and their families.
"The findings
highlight that hierarchies of power and gender discrimination hinder
progress, but also demonstrate the great potential for improvements in
quality of care when the voices of midwives
are heard.
"The survey
revealed that midwives earn lower salaries that are not comparable with
similar health professions, while one-fifth of midwives depend on
another source of income to survive.
"Nearly half
(45%) of midwives reported being exhausted. We know that most midwives
combine triple roles of work, motherhood and caring for others in their
communities. Many midwives are neither being
provided with adequate education, or regulatory and legal support while
a lack of investment in midwives reinforces gender inequality
and unequal power relations within the health system.
"In a world
where so many women, and their families lack access to the required
continuum of care and counsel, to survive and thrive, midwives can, and
should be the army to change dire health outcomes,
if we invest in them and provide them with skills"
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