02/10/2026
Midwifery works best when it’s integrated.
Midwifery is often framed as an alternative to the medical system. In reality, its greatest impact comes when it is fully integrated within it.
Global evidence shows that midwife-led, integrated models of care are associated with lower maternal and newborn mortality, fewer unnecessary interventions, and higher quality and continuity of care—particularly when midwives are supported by clear referral pathways and collaborative relationships with hospitals and physicians.
When midwives are connected to health systems rather than operating in isolation, they are better able to:
• identify risk early
• escalate care appropriately
• maintain continuity across levels of care
• contribute to safer outcomes at population scale
At Birth Matters Foundation, we invest in midwifery as a systems-based solution. Our current work focuses on deep integration within a real-world clinical setting, allowing us to learn what it takes to make collaboration, accountability, and evidence-based care function in practice.
This depth is intentional. It generates lessons that can inform broader adoption of integrated midwifery models—strengthening health systems over time rather than creating parallel ones.
