Estimating the return on investment for midwifery in LMICs in Asia

Midwives are critical in providing quality sexual, reproductive, maternal and newborn health care. Economic evidence indicates midwifery as a cost effective model of care. Despite high quality, global evidence that supports care provided by midwives, midwifery and women's health remain critically underfunded and the capacity for midwives to provide care to their full scope of practice is restricted in many settings. Further research on the costs and economic benefits of midwifery in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) in Asia is needed to support evidence-informed decision-making for maternal-newborn care and increased investment in midwifery.

This study estimates the economic return on investment in midwifery using a case study approach in Cambodia to generate knowledge on the costs and economic benefits of midwifery care in LMICs in Asia. This study uses mixed-methods to determine the current situation of midwifery workforce investment in Cambodia, to estimate the costs associated with educating and recruiting midwives to the workforce, and to model the health and economic return on investment in midwifery at the national level.

This study is a PhD project and is supported by the University of Technology Sydney and the Burnet Institute. Supervisors include Dr. Vanessa Scarf (UTS), Professor Caroline Homer (UTS, Burnet), Dr. Sarah Bar-Zeev (UTS, Burnet), Associate Professor Nick Scott (Burnet) and Professor Ponndara Ith (UHS Cambodia). The Burnet Institute Midwifery Research Advisory Group also provides guidance to the study.

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Image: UNFPA Asia-Pacific/Lao PDR/2014