opinion

May 5 is the International Day of Midwife.

Marking the day every year, the International Confederation of Midwives sets a theme underlining the important role of midwives in protecting the lives and health of pregnant women, nursing mothers and newborn babies and recommends that a variety of activities are conducted to congratulate and encourage midwives in their medical activities and arouse social interest in them.

At present, natural disasters are on the increase every year in all parts of the world due to global warming and the consequent climatic changes. In case of such disasters, it is none other than midwives that play a responsible and important role in ensuring uninterrupted antenatal care of pregnant women and delivering them of healthy babies through safe delivery care.

However, hundreds of thousands of pregnant women and millions of newborn babies are dying across the world as they fail to get birth attendance by skilled health personnel. The United Nations Population Fund and other international organizations recommend that all the countries reduce the maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 deaths per 100 000 live births, eradicate preventable newborn deaths and decrease the newborn mortality to at least 12 deaths per 1 000 live births in the corresponding year by 2030. 

Today, the lives of millions of pregnant women in disaster-hit and disputed areas are under threat as they are delivered of babies in insecure facilities with uneasiness and in pain.

Therefore, the International Confederation of Midwives set the theme for this year’s International Day of Midwife as “Midwives: Critical in Every Crisis” and called for positively putting forward midwives so that they can deliver antenatal, delivery and postnatal care and newborn care and resuscitation in a responsible manner in the event of any disaster and for increasing social interest.

The DPRK orients all the state policies to promoting the people’s welfare.

A record downpour caused a serious crisis in the northern border areas of the country in July last year. In particular, more than 5 000 inhabitants were isolated in the zones vulnerable to flooding in the island areas of the city of Sinuiju and Uiju County of North Phyongan Province. However, all the inhabitants were rescued successfully thanks to immediate and powerful relief operations. And children, women including parturients and nursing mothers, aged people and honoured disabled soldiers were invited to Pyongyang as special guests to be provided with best living conditions. 

During their 130 days of stay in Pyongyang, some women had safe birth attendance and gave easy birth to precious sons.

Upholding the policies of the Workers’ Party of Korea and the state which take full charge and care of the people’s lives and health, midwives, like other public health workers, are performing their work in a responsible way with pride in and attachment to their occupation.