Strengthening midwifery in the Asia-Pacific region

Approximately 800 women die each day globally related to pregnancy and childbirth, and an estimated 20 to 30 times that number experience pregnancy-related severe morbidity. 

Approximately 2 million babies are stillborn after 28 weeks’ gestation while 2.4 million infants die in the first month of life. Most deaths are preventable and more than 90 per cent occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Asia-Pacific region includes 36 LMICs (22 in Asia and 14 in the South Pacific) with 240 women dying every day due to pregnancy-related causes. Many Asia-Pacific countries face numerous challenges, including poor-quality antenatal, childbirth and postnatal care, limited access to modern contraceptive methods and significant shortages in the health workforces especially midwives. 

Our research has shown that scaling up midwifery services is critical to preventing maternal and newborn deaths in LMICs. Despite this, the State of the World’s Midwifery Report estimated that there was a global shortage of 900,000 midwives. This is exacerbated by gaps in quality of care due to poor midwifery education, workforce gender discrimination and a lack of midwifery leadership. 

At Burnet, we have a program of work that is generating and translating new knowledge that strengthens the impact and capacity of midwifery to reduce maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity in the Asia-Pacific region through strengthening midwifery services. We hypothesise that strengthened midwifery – education, models of care and leadership – will deliver improved outcomes by reducing maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths.

Projects are available for postgraduate research students to work with the Global Women’s and Newborn’s Health Group at Burnet Institute in Melbourne. 

Available projects include:

• providing the evidence to support high quality education and training of midwives in low- and-middle income countries (LMICs)
• in depth exploration of midwifery continuity of care in LMICs
• exploring the deployment of midwives in LMICs
• investigating midwifery leadership in LMICs in the Asia-Pacific region
• exploring the contribution of midwives to childhood immunisation.