1. Strengthening Midwifery WHO WPRO Meeting on Ending Newborn Mortality & Morbidity Tokyo, JAPAN September 21-25, 2015

2. Strengthening Nursing and Midwifery A Global Study, WHO, 1997

3. Source: Pattinson R, Kerber K, Buchmann E, et al, for The Lancet’s Stillbirths Series steering committee. Stillbirths: how can health systems deliver for mothers and babies? Lancet 2011; published online April 14. DOI:10.1016/S0140- 6736(10)62306-9. If intervention in pregnancy and at birth reached all families by 2015:  1.4 million newborn deaths averted (43%)  1.1 million stillbirths prevented (45%)  201,000 maternal deaths averted (54%) If intervention in pregnancy and at birth reached all families by 2015:  1.4 million newborn deaths averted (43%)  1.1 million stillbirths prevented (45%)  201,000 maternal deaths averted (54%) Care at Birth Gives a Triple Return on Investments by Also Reducing Stillbirths and Maternal Deaths

4. The Strategic Directions for Strengthening Nursing and Midwifery 2011-2015 Key Result Areas: 1.Strengthening health systems and services 2.Nursing and midwifery policy and practice 3.Education, training and career development 4.Nursing and midwifery workforce management 5.Partnership for nursing and midwifery services

5. The Implications of the Strategy on Nursing and Midwifery

6. Background to Recent Midwifery Developments 20102011201220132014 First Global Midwifery Symposium. Washington DC

7. SoWMy 2014 in the Headlines

8. State of World Midwifery 2014 SRMNH data/workforce projections for each of 73 "Countdown countries" Midwives can provide 87% of the needed essential care for women and newborns, when educated and trained to international standards. Midwives most effective when they work within a functional health system and enabling environment. Also, a supportive team of auxiliaries, physicians and specialists is essential in order to ensure coverage of services to women and newborns across the whole continuum of care.

9. State of World Midwifery 2014 The report puts forward a vision of Midwifery2030, a pathway for women's health and for midwifery policy and planning through the end of 2030. It promotes women-centered and midwife-led care to achieve the goal of universal health coverage for all women Tools for determining midwifery needs

10. WPRO Countries (China, LaoPDR, Vietnam) Country Briefs: Overview Current need Future need Effective coverage today Availability Accessibility Quality Future availability Future availability

11. Midwifery Education & Training National recognition of need for midwives Quality midwifery education/training curriculum –Role of ICM and constituent bodies –Educational institution -vs- health institution location –Theoretical knowledge and competency –On site supervision; minimum case requirements Registration, recognition of qualifications

12. Publications on Midwifery Education WHO is supporting implementation of midwifery core competencies and accompanying tools

13. Midwifery as a Profession Recognition by national legislation Career structure, remuneration, recertification Collegiality with other MNH professionals Access to/for women, babies & their families Professional associations Increasing numbers and quality necessary for national and global attainment of SDGs in Western Pacific Region [Note: Launch of AMA (Asian Midwifery Alliance) imminent]

14. Conclusion Developing and strengthening human resources for health means recognizing that midwifery services play a vital role in improving health service delivery. Midwives provide services close to mothers, their newborns, children and families. The global HRH strategy offers an opportunity to strategically recommend the future work of midwifery post-2015 development agenda in 2016 at the WHA. SoWMY, a strong foundation to improve access, acceptability, availability and quality of midwives and midwifery services.