May 5 is internationally recognized as the day for highlighting the work of midwives. “They are the primary care givers for women and newborns before, during and after childbirth, and also provide women and girls’ essential counseling and information on reproductive health,” said Ali Akbar Sayyari, deputy minister of health, on Wednesday. Last year (ended March 20), 2,000 midwifes were employed in state-run hospitals across the country. At present, there are 36,000 midwives, while to reach the global standards the figure should be 120,000 (1.5 per 1000 population) for the country’s 80 million population.
