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Why does the World Health Organization consider midwife training important for maternal health?

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Midwives assisting a birth while astrologers consult sky charts; woodcut relief print from Jakob Rueff's De conceptu et generatione hominis (1554; The Expert Midwife). — midwifery Midwives assisting a birth while astrologers consult sky charts; woodcut relief print from Jakob Rueff's *De conceptu et generatione hominis* (1554; *The Expert Midwife*).

The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes the importance of midwife training because it is essential to improving maternal health and reducing infant mortality.1

The WHO classifies midwives who lack formal education as "unskilled birth attendants," noting that their lack of training in emergency techniques is associated with higher rates of maternal and infant mortality. Conversely, regions that utilize trained and regulated midwives have historically demonstrated comparatively lower rates of maternal mortality than areas where women rely on untrained helpers or deliver without assistance.12

To support global health objectives, such as the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, the WHO advocates for the presence of skilled birth attendants—defined as accredited midwives, physicians, or nurses—during childbirth. By ensuring that midwives receive standardized, formal education, health systems can better manage complications and provide safer care for both mothers and newborns.1