May 5 is International Midwives’ Day.

Every year, 289 000 pregnant women and nursing mothers die of complications of pregnancy and childbirth, and the number of stillborn babies amounts to 2.6 million across the world.

The rate of maternal and neonatal deaths is still low in the developing countries, because pregnant women and nursing mothers do not receive medical treatment from competent midwives before, during and after childbirth and because there is a shortage of midwives.

According to the recent study results of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), the competent midwife-delivered interventions would avert 41% of maternal deaths, 39% of neonatal deaths, and 26% of stillbirths of the current level in the developing countries, thus saving 2.2 million lives by 2035.

So, the ICM set “Invest in Midwives” as the theme of the 2021 International Midwives’ Day and calls upon all countries to raise public awareness and interest in the midwives, increase the ranks of midwives by training them as required by global standards, and encourage them to assist all pregnant women in childbirth so as to reduce maternal and newborn mortality.

Giving social prominence to midwives and according them preferential treatment is a priority issue to guarantee high-quality medical service.

Our country awards an honorary title of merited midwife to those who have rendered distinguished services while working in the sector for a long time to ensure the health of pregnant women and nursing mothers and newborn babies.

In the run-up to International Midwives’ Day every year, it gives wide publicity to model midwives through newspaper, TV and radio and organizes the work to popularize their experiences in various forms and by various methods.

Vocational schools in the capital city and local areas train professional midwives.

Midwives devote themselves to medical services.

They identify all the pregnant women in the districts under their charge and advise them to take maternity leave in good time. Those working at the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital, provincial maternity hospitals and other people’s hospitals assist delivery and take warm care of the health of newborn babies.

Thanks to the state support to and growing social interest in the medical sector, obstetricians and midwives who are possessed of a high sense of responsibility and skilled practical ability conduct their medical services with maternal affection.

Yu Hyang Suk, head of a department of Pyongyang Maternity Hospital