Midwifery Qualification in Selected Countries: A Rapid Review

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• International Midwifery Standards
• Maternal Health Improvement

Background:

• Global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is decreasing but requires further reduction.
• Midwifery education must align with local contexts and current best practices.
• Ensuring competent midwives is crucial for improving maternal outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare basic professional midwifery qualifications and pre-practice requirements.
• To analyze requirements in countries with lower MMR than Malaysia.
• To inform potential revisions of midwifery standards in Malaysia.

Main Methods:

• Rapid review of government and professional association websites.
• Utilized advanced Google searches with standardized keywords.
• Included English-language documents from countries with lower MMR than Malaysia.

Main Results:

• Bachelor's degree is the minimum qualification in most reviewed countries.
• Registration or licensing is commonly required for midwifery practice.
• 35.5% of countries implement national preregistration midwifery examinations.
• 13 countries mandate a nursing background for midwives.

Conclusions:

• Countries with superior maternal outcomes often require degree-level midwifery qualifications.
• Malaysia should re-evaluate and potentially revise its current midwifery qualification standards.
• Elevating midwifery education requirements could contribute to improved maternal health outcomes.