Tehran – Midwives play a critical role in the delivery of healthcare by preparing health systems to meet difficult challenges during crises.
The world is grappling with an unprecedented number of complex crises, including the continuing consequences of natural disasters, wars, and climate change that disproportionately impact women and girls in the family, pregnancy complications and gender-based people at greater risk of violence, such as violence, and access to critical health services.
Midwives can provide up to 90% of sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health (SRMNAH) services, even in humanitarian crises.
With minimal resources and equipment, midwives provide safe births and prenatal and postnatal care in crisis situations, improving delivery services, reproductive health and comprehensive prenatal care, and survival of gender-based violence. support can be provided to those who wish to do so.
Midwives support breastfeeding, ensure babies receive safe, healthy and reliable nutrition, educate affected communities, and equip them with the knowledge and tools to stay safe and healthy in times of crisis.
Despite midwives’ critical role in health systems for crisis preparedness and response, they are often unappreciated and excluded from crisis preparedness and response efforts.
It is time to recognize midwives as essential health professionals and strive to include them in all stages of crisis preparedness and response.
Therefore, the theme of International Midwifery 2025 is midwifery. Important in any crisis.
For midwives to respond effectively to crises, they must be completely safe and equipped with the training, tools and resources they need to save lives and protect rights in the most difficult challenges. .
In May 2024, Ministry of Health official Farah Babaei said that a total of 80,000 midwives were working in the country.
“In terms of midwifery education, Iran is at the top of the regional countries and ranks third in the world based on international education rankings,” Mehr news agency quoted Babaei as saying. Masu.
Midwives also play an important role in the growing youth population, the official added.