Midwifery Qualification in Selected Countries: A Rapid Review

While the global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) shows a decreasing trend, there is room for improvement. Midwifery education has been under scrutiny to ensure that graduates acquire knowledge and skills relevant to the local context.

To review the basic professional midwifery qualification and pre-practice requirements in countries with lower MMR compared with Malaysia.

A rapid review of country-specific Ministry of Health and Midwifery Association websites and Advanced Google using standardised key words. English-language documents reporting the qualifications of midwives or other requirements to practise midwifery from countries with a lower MMR than Malaysia were included.

Sixty-three documents from 35 countries were included. The minimum qualification required to become a midwife was a bachelor's degree. Most countries require registration or licensing to practise, and 35.5% have implemented preregistration national midwifery examinations. In addition, 13 countries require midwives to have nursing backgrounds.

In countries achieving better maternal outcomes than Malaysia, midwifes often have a degree or higher qualification. As such, there is a need to reinvestigate and revise the midwifery qualification requirements in Malaysia.