Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 5 May 2018 --- Pupils hanging on midwives´lips during a day of information and awareness on midwifery, as part of the celebration of the International Day of Midwives; May 5, 2018.

The Association of Nurse-Midwives of Haiti (AISFH) and the National Institute of Midwifery Education informed the general public, including students, about the richness of this profession, the skills required and the diversity of daily activities of professional midwives.
 
International Midwifery Day focused this year on "Midwives Lead the Way in Providing Quality Care."
 
"This theme challenges us and invites us to be in solidarity with midwives. Because they represent the backbone of healthy families and communities, “UNFPA Representative for Haiti, Marielle Sander, said.
 
Globally, the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality remains a major challenge to overcome. Each year, 303 thousand women die during pregnancy and childbirth, and nearly 2.6 million babies die in the first few weeks after birth. 99% of these deaths occur in developing countries.
 
In Haiti, despite progress, the maternal mortality rate remains the highest in the hemisphere. Therefore, we must urgently address the global shortage of midwives and ensure that they are competent and properly educated and trained according to global standards.
 
In addition, experience shows that midwives who are trained and regulated to international standards can provide 87% of the essential care needed by women and their newborns.
 
That's why UNFPA supports midwives in more than 70 countries around the world, including Haiti.