Jordan joins the world in celebrating the International Day of the Midwife, which falls on May 5 of each year. This year's theme is "One Million More Midwives." The theme highlights the urgent need to invest in midwifery programs to address the shortage, as the world needs one million more midwives to improve maternal and infant health and reduce maternal deaths. The theme also represents a collective call for governments and decision-makers to recognize the status of midwives among healthcare providers, enabling them to continue their pivotal role in achieving better reproductive and sexual health for all family members.
Midwives play a key role in providing healthcare for mothers, newborns, and children, as well as in offering counseling, information, and services related to family planning and breastfeeding, especially during humanitarian crises. They provide comprehensive support before, during, and after childbirth.
In Jordan, maternal healthcare, especially during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, is among the important indicators for reducing health risks and maternal and child deaths during pregnancy, childbirth, and the immediate postpartum period. Jordan is distinguished by early healthcare for pregnant women. Data from the Population and Family Health Surveys issued by the Department of Statistics show that the proportion of births attended by skilled health professionals has reached 99.9%. Furthermore, the maternal mortality ratio declined from 29.8 to 23.7 deaths per 100,000 live births between 2018 and 2023, according to the National Maternal Mortality Report / Ministry of Health[1].
According to the 2024 Annual Statistical Report of the Ministry of Health, the number of licensed midwives in Jordan reached 5,324, working in various sectors. Their numbers were: 1,637 in the Ministry of Health, 3,129 in the private sector, 495 in the Royal Medical Services, 35 in university hospitals, and 28 in UNRWA.
As part of the planning efforts to meet reproductive health service needs in Jordan, the HPC prepared estimates of the Kingdom's need for midwives for the period 2025–2035. These estimates were based on the annual number of pregnancies and births for Jordanians and Syrians, assuming a fixed rate of 184 midwives per 10,000 pregnancies and 271 midwives per 10,000 births. The estimates indicated that the need for midwives will rise to reach 5,701 midwives in 2030, and up to 6,201 midwives in 2035, in addition to the extra numbers needed to compensate for retirement or death among midwives.
Midwives are considered the backbone of maternal and child health. They contribute to managing natural births, providing emotional and physical support during labor, performing routine examinations and health counseling, monitoring fetal development and detecting complications early, following up on the health of the newborn and mother after birth, providing support in breastfeeding, offering education in family planning, nutrition, hygiene, and mental health, overseeing childhood vaccinations, and providing necessary health guidance.
To strengthen the role of midwives in the health sector, the HPC recommends expanding training and continuous education programs, improving working conditions and wages to ensure a safe and supportive environment, enhancing midwives’ participation in health policies to ensure their voices are represented in decision-making, and increasing community awareness programs on the role of midwives in comprehensive healthcare.
According to statistics from World Health Organization, in 2023 more than 700 women died every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal mortality has declined by about 40% globally over the past two decades; however, slightly more than 90% of all maternal deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries[2].
