Advancing Midwifery in the UAE: ENA Midwifery Society Research Published in the European Journal of Midwifery

Authors- Maeve Anne O'Connell1,2, Khadija Al Sulaimi3, Rasha Salah Eweida4,5, Joanna Andrews1, Joeri Vermeulen6,7

Abstract

Introduction

The UAE is facing a critical shortage in the midwifery workforce. Maternity care is predominantly obstetric led. The UAE government is committed to increasing the number of midwives by 38 per year until 2030 and has invested in midwifery education, with the first direct-entry Bachelor’s degree programs in midwifery available. However, little is known about public perspectives on the availability, accessibility and quality of midwifery services in the UAE. Our aim was to explore public perspectives on challenges and gaps in midwifery services in the UAE.

Results

Final themes and subthemes identified from thematic analysis of an open-ended survey question on midwifery services in the United Arab Emirates, November 2024 to February 2025 (N=119

Correspondence To Maeve Anne O'Connell. School of Nursing and Midwifery, Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland E-mail: maeveanneoconnell@gmail.com

ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1927-2711

Read the Research Paper

The European Journal of Midwifery, (Abbr: Eur J Midwifery; ISSN: 2585-2906) is an open-access and double-blind peer-reviewed scientific journal. The aim of the journal is to foster, promote, and disseminate research involving midwifery education and clinical practice. The journal has an international focus and hence welcomes submissions from across the globe. EJM covers all aspects of the practice of midwifery, especially midwifery research, support, care, and advice during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period. The journal is proud to be under the auspices of 18 European Midwives Associations and is indexed in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the Web of Science - ESCI.

Editor-In-Chief: Victoria Vivilaki, Professor of Midwifery, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece & President, European Midwives Association (EMA)

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