Blog

Two years ago the UNFPA issued a State of the World’s Midwifery report that called for investment in trained midwives as the single most important response to the global crisis in maternal health.   “Every year approximately 350,000 women die while pregnant or giving birth — almost 1,000 a day,” states the report. “Of these women, 99 percent die in developing countries”. The World Health Organization reports estimate that close to 80% of babies born in these rural areas are received into the hands of traditional midwives; women who practice midwifery as it has…Read more

Over the last year many questions have been raised surrounding the public outrage over Midwife International and the training of Western midwives overseas. As Mother Health International was involved both as a partner with Midwife International and ultimately in the organizing of the Ethical Midwifery site and project, we have noticed interesting reactions to the act of many folks standing together to speak out publicly about oppressive and destructive methods in the training of Western and mostly white students. First, many people have criticized our method and used it as a means to…Read more