Date: Thursday, 10 November 2011
Event: Launch of the State of the World’s Midwifery Report 2011: Delivering Health, Saving Lives
Venue: Melia Hotel, 44B Ly Thuong Kiet, Ha Noi

• Mr Nguyen Viet Tien, Vice Minister of Health;
• Representatives from Government, donor and international organizations,
• My fellow UN Colleagues;
• Representatives from the Media,
• Ladies and gentlemen;
• And especially the midwives who are amongst us here today

On behalf of the United Nations in Viet Nam, I would like to sincerely thank the Ministry of Health for co-organizing this ceremony to launch the State of the World’s Midwifery Report 2011: Delivering Health, Saving Lives and also to Mr Nguyen Viet Tien for his inspiring opening speech.

Before giving the floor to my colleague to present key findings of this report, I would like to reiterate a few key messages and calls for action that are highlighted in the report:

More than one in three women in developing countries give birth alone -- or with only relatives to oversee what is one of the most dangerous passages they will ever undergo. In some of the poorest countries, as few as 13 per cent of all deliveries are assisted by a midwife or a health worker with the specific midwifery skills that are required to save lives.

Every day, 1,000 women die as a result of pregnancy related complications, and an additional 5,500 newborns die in the first week of life for lack of adequate medical care.

The current global shortage of some 350,000 professional midwives means that women and their newborns die from complications that could have been easily prevented by a health worker, in the right place, at the right time, with the right skills, the right equipment and the right support.

Without an increase in the number of midwives who account for the majority of skilled birth attendants, supported by further improvement of their clinical skills to ensure they meet the global standards, pregnant women and newborns will continue to die needlessly. We have evidence that if midwives are in place and can stabilize and refer the most severe complications to specialized care, up to 90 per cent of maternal deaths could be prevented.

The report clearly states that investing in human resources for health is one of the soundest investments a country can make.  And, in the context of Viet Nam, where we still have significant gaps in midwifery capacity, strong and continued support and commitment from the government and other partners will be required to improve the status and capacity of midwifery.  Only then will we be able to achieve MDGs 4, 5, and 6 in every province, and amongst every ethnic group, in both the rural and urban area of Viet Nam.

And now let me finish, by recommending to each of you to take time to familiarize yourselves with the contents of the State of the World’s Midwifery Report 2011: Delivering Health, Saving Lives and seek your assistance in disseminating the key messages of this report as widely as possible.

Thank you very much for your attention and participation. I look forward to discussing with you further during the panel discussion.

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