Ghana is facing a severe shortage of midwives, reflecting a global crisis that requires nearly one million additional midwives to ensure safe childbirth.

The situation in Ghana is worsened by the steady exodus of health workers, with an estimated 3,000 nurses and midwives leaving the country annually in search of better working conditions and pay abroad.

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) says addressing the challenges in the midwifery profession requires a comprehensive national strategy, stressing that simply increasing training numbers will not be sufficient.

Speaking at a symposium in Kumasi to mark the International Day of the Midwife, held in collaboration with the Midwives Society, the Ashanti Regional First Vice Chairman of the Association, Philimon Adu Brempong, noted that the demand for midwifery services continues to rise, while significant workforce gaps persist, particularly in underserved and rural communities.

He said any effective strategy must ensure fair distribution of midwives, improved working conditions, continuous professional development, clear career progression pathways, and measures to prevent burnout.

He added that the disparity between the number of pregnant women and available midwives remains a major concern, noting that many midwives are posted to urban areas while rural communities continue to face acute shortages. He stressed that scaling up midwifery training is essential to help close the gap.

In a keynote address, the Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Veronica Millicent Dzomeku, underscored the critical role of midwives in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality.

She explained that midwives support women throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period by preventing complications, identifying risks early, saving mothers and newborns, assisting families, and ensuring dignified and respectful care.

She further noted that midwives not only bring life into the world but also ensure it begins safely with dignity and hope, adding that their work strengthens trust in health systems and contributes to healthier families and communities.

Citing World Health Organisation data, she stated that a woman dies from pregnancy or childbirth approximately every two minutes globally, adding that most of these deaths are preventable when trained midwives are adequately resourced and supported.

She also indicated that strengthening midwifery care could avert up to 4.3 million deaths worldwide by 2035, adding that quality midwifery services could prevent 67 per cent of maternal deaths, 64 per cent of newborn deaths, and 65 per cent of stillbirths.

She called for urgent investment in midwifery education, describing it as one of the most cost-effective approaches to improving maternal and newborn survival. She emphasised the need for more faculty, simulation laboratories, modern evidence-based curricula, strong mentorship, and continuous professional development, urging government, the private sector, and NGOs to act on available evidence.

Meanwhile, the Regional Coordinator of the Midwives Society, Gertrude Adomako Mensah, encouraged expectant mothers to prioritise antenatal care by attending regular hospital check-ups. She also urged midwives across health facilities to intensify counselling for pregnant women, highlighting the importance of patient engagement in improving safe delivery outcomes.