Poorer countries lack midwives to cut birth deaths: report

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Poorer countries lack midwives to cut birth deaths: report

By Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The majority of the world's poorer countries, which account for nearly all childbirth-related deaths among newborns and mothers, are facing a critical shortage of professional midwives who could ease the problem, global health experts said on Tuesday. Among 73 lower and middle income nations, just four - Armenia, Colombia, Dominican Republic and Jordan - have adequate resources in place, according to a review led by the United Nations Populations Fund and the World Health Organization. "More than three-quarters face serious shortages that will result in unnecessary deaths of women and babies," Frances Day-Stirk, president of the International Confederation of Midwives, told reporters on a conference call. In 2013, there were an estimated 2.6 million stillbirths, 3 million newborn deaths and 289,000 maternal deaths.

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