DIRE DAWA — Dawit Tamru, an assistant professor of midwifery at Haramaya University, launched a campaign in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, on May 5, 2026, to raise awareness of midwifery and address workforce and drug shortages at the university's Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. The launch coincided with International Day of the Midwife, whose 2026 theme is "one million more."

Tamru, who heads the School of Midwifery at the hospital, placed large posters at university gates and spoke at schools and community gatherings about maternal and newborn health. Research published in February 2026 found a global shortage of almost 1 million midwives, with Africa accounting for about 47% of that gap.

"Every single region in the world needs more midwives. Africa has about 47% of the share of the global shortage, but they're doing a really good job to close that gap," said Daniela Drandić, co-author of the paper and a representative of the International Confederation of Midwives.

In 2008, Ethiopia had just over 1,000 midwives, and by 2026 the number was estimated to exceed 20,000, Geeta Lal, global midwifery program coordinator at the United Nations Population Fund, said. More than 80% of Ethiopia's population lives in rural areas, and many midwifery students choose to work in urban areas after completing their training.

About half of the students in the midwifery class Tamru teaches are male. "I think anyone, regardless of the gender, could provide this service — anyone who is skilled, knowledgeable and compassionate for childbearing women and newborns," Tamru said. "There is no mistreatment from spouses or relatives. We are perceived as medical personnel," he said.

At the beginning of 2025, the U.S. cut foreign aid from USAID, causing many maternal health and midwifery projects in Ethiopia to be canceled and leading to shortages of drugs such as Rh immune globulin, Tamru said. He said shortages of Rh immune globulin in his public hospital have led to babies dying during labor and delivery. Without prophylactic Rh immune globulin, mothers with Rh-negative blood carrying Rh-positive babies face a risk of fetal death in subsequent pregnancies.

A study published in Lancet Global Health in 2020 forecast that universal coverage of midwives could avert 67% of maternal deaths, 64% of neonatal deaths and 65% of stillbirths, saving more than 4 million lives each year. According to the World Health Organization, progress on reducing maternal and child deaths has largely stalled in the last decade.

Tamru decided to pursue midwifery at about age 10, after midwives saved his mother during severe childbirth complications following the birth of his younger sister. His mother, a street vendor, experienced a retained placenta and heavy bleeding at home, and a midwife at the hospital wearing elbow-length gloves removed the placenta the next day.