Overcoming Barriers to Skilled Midwifery Care: The Role of Nurse Practitioner Midwives in India

Surya Kant Tiwari, Bijoyalaxmi Sahoo, Tanusree Biswas, Poonam Joshi

Abstract


Dear Editor,

Women’s and newborns’ survival depends on skilled care during pregnancy and childbirth. India’s maternal mortality rate is 97 per 100,000 live births, and the neonatal mortality rate is 20 per 1,000 live births.[1] Nurse practitioner midwives (NPMs) provide care to women throughout their lives, focusing on pregnancy, childbirth, and reproductive health. The NPM program in India, initiated in 2019, is an 18‑month government initiative to enhance maternal healthcare by creating a professional midwifery workforce.[2] This initiative addresses previous approaches where midwifery was merged with general nursing, leading to unclear roles and underutilized midwifery skills.[3] Autonomous midwifery practice can prevent 41% of maternal deaths, 39% of neonatal deaths, and 26% of stillbirths by 2035.[4].............


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References


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