Midwives Around The World

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND - JUNE 30: (INTERVIEW) The Midwife Alama Sylla is asking which strategy the Midwife Venus Jamsangsri uses to facilitate the descent of the baby through the birth canal during the process of labour at the entrance of the maternity department of the Faculty of Medicine Chiang Mai University on June 30, 2023 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates the world will need an extra nine million nurses and midwives by 2030 as around 140 million babies are born each year. The largest shortfall in nursing and midwifery is in South East Asia and Africa where the majority of the world's babies are born. There are currently approximately 27 million people in the global nursing and midwifery workforce, with women making up the majority share. 70% of the health and social workforce are women compared to 41% in all employment sectors. Nurses and midwives play a vital role in improving health outcomes across the world. (Footage by Antoine Lassalle/Getty Images)