UN chief urges greater investment in training Indigenous midwives

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for greater investment in midwifery and childbirth training to strengthen maternal and child healthcare for Indigenous communities worldwide.

In a message marking the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on Sunday (August 9), Guterres stressed the critical role Indigenous midwives play in protecting mothers and newborns and urged governments to strengthen training and support for skilled birth attendants.

He said the United Nations is working with member states and Indigenous communities to promote a rights-based approach to healthcare, while warning that gaps in health data often leave Indigenous people effectively invisible within national healthcare systems.

Governments, he said, must improve the collection and preservation of health-related data on Indigenous populations so that their specific needs can be properly identified and addressed.

Guterres also emphasized the importance of expanding training and investment in midwifery and maternal care. Skilled midwives, he said, are essential to ensuring safe, quality healthcare for mothers and children.

The UN chief further called for Indigenous women to have the knowledge, freedom and authority to make informed decisions about their own bodies and healthcare. Their views and rights, he said, must be placed at the center of decisions concerning their health.

Citing research, Guterres said Indigenous midwives contribute not only to the safety of mothers and newborns but also to building trust in healthcare services and ensuring continuity of care within communities.