Why in news? The Karnataka state government launched its midwifery initiative in collaboration with the NGO Aastrika Foundation and UNICEF recently.

Highlights:

• As part of the initiative, a National Midwifery Training Institute was launched at Vani Vilas Hospital.
• Karnataka is the first South Indian state to set up such an institute in the public sector.
• Midwifery educators will be trained at National Midwifery Training Institute (NMTI) with support from international midwives, who would in turn train nurse practitioners in midwifery at the State Midwifery Training Institutes in Karnataka.

Note : The State, at 83 maternal deaths per lakh live births, is said to have the highest Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in South India.

What is Midwifery?

• Midwifery is the health science and health profession that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, in addition to the sexual and reproductive health of women throughout their lives.
• Midwifery is a proven, globally acclaimed model of care that can prevent as many as 83 per cent of all maternal and new-born deaths.