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Thursday, June 19, 2025
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Laos Celebrates International Day of the Midwife with Renewed Commitment to Maternal Health

This Week

On 18 June, Laos joined the global community in celebrating the International Day of the Midwife, honoring the vital role midwives play in safeguarding maternal and newborn health, especially in remote and underserved communities. 

Held in Vientiane, the celebration was organized by the Ministry of Health, the Lao Association of Midwives, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO), and partners. It brought together government leaders, development partners, and health workers to honor midwives and reaffirm commitments to improving maternal health and midwifery services.

Over the past two decades, Laos has seen a significant decline in maternal mortality, from 609 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 (United Nations Estimates) to 112 in 2023, a reduction of over 80 percent, far exceeding the global average. Midwives have been central to this progress.

“Midwives are the backbone of our maternal health system,” said Aphone Visathep, Deputy Minister of Health. “Their work not only saves lives, it builds trust and brings services closer to the people. Today, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that every health facility has at least one trained midwife by 2030, especially in rural and ethnic communities.”

The celebration featured heartfelt testimonies from midwives on the ground, including Beng Seanmeung, a 22-year-old ethnic midwife from Saravan province. Inspired to join the profession after witnessing a neighbor’s life-threatening childbirth, Beng is now one of 93 ethnic midwives trained since 2010 under UNFPA support, bridging cultural and geographic gaps to deliver safe maternal care.

Thomas Lammar, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Luxembourg, reiterated Luxembourg’s long-standing support for maternal health in Laos. 

“Midwives are central to building strong, resilient health systems that leave no one behind,” he said. “We celebrate their essential contributions and reaffirm our partnership for a healthier future.”

UNFPA’s Deputy Regional Director, Alexandar Sasha Bodiroza, highlighted the evolving role of midwives: “Midwives do far more than deliver babies. They deliver dignity, knowledge, and the right to health. To reach our goal of one midwife per primary healthcare facility by 2030, sustained investment is essential.”

The event also served as the launch platform for the Midwifery Action Plan 2025-2035, which outlines five key pillars: education, regulation, workforce development, enabling environment, and community engagement. 

Notably, three midwifery schools in Laos  have achieved international accreditation, the first of their kind in the Asia-Pacific region.

“When a skilled midwife stands with a mother, she is laying the foundation for a stronger future, not only for the child but for the entire nation,” said UNICEF Country Representative Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani.

Lao midwifery students performed a stage play to honor the vital role of midwives in maternal and newborn care. (photo credit: UNFPA Laos)

The event concluded with a cultural performance by midwifery students, field stories, and the global launch of WHO’s new Implementation Guidance on Transitioning to Midwifery Models of Care, co-developed with UNFPA, UNICEF, and the International Confederation of Midwives. This framework supports countries in empowering midwives as leaders of quality, person-centered care.

 

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