In July 2014, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) released the second State of the World\u2019s Midwifery report which reports on 73 low- and middle-income countries including Afghanistan. Together, these countries account for more than 92 per cent of the world\u2019s maternal and neonatal deaths, yet have only 42 percent of its qualified birth attendants.<\/p>\n
In Afghanistan itself, a woman dies every two hours from causes related to pregnancy. The report points out that midwives can substantially reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. Based on these findings, The State of the World\u2019s Midwifery 2014 report sets the global agenda for midwifery through Midwifery2030, a policy and planning pathway which strengthens midwife-led models of care through four related domains which, collectively, create the conditions for strong and effective midwifery. These domains are:<\/p>\n