The Midwifery Programme Guidance has been developed by UNFPA in collaboration with ICM for country offices, programme managers,  partner agencies, and midwifery managers in Ministries of Health, to assist them in developing, ‘scaling up’ and/or strengthening midwifery programmes at the national level. It explains key midwifery concepts, outlines a step by step approach on how to strengthen midwifery Education, Regulation and Association, engage stakeholders, undertake effective policy advocacy and fund raising and references key available resources to do so.

This report reviews the first meeting of international fistula experts in London in July 2001, which launched this initiative and focused on concrete actions to alleviate the suffering of affected women. It is our sincerest hope that together we can work to make fistula as rare in Africa and in all developing countries as it is in the industrialized world. We know that new partners will join us in this worthwhile initiative.