Midwife burnout poses threat to reducing maternal mortality

Malawi has an insufficient number of midwives, so staff work long hours and have few breaks. Photograph: White Ribbon Alliance /Maternal Mortality Campaign

An innovative UN Population Fund (UNFPA) report launched on Monday, The State of the World's Midwifery, focuses much needed attention on service providers, and will help to achieve millennium development goals (MDGs) 4 and 5.

A recent paper on maternal health staff in a district referral hospital in Malawi concluded that burnout appears to be common among those providing antenatal, delivery and postnatal health services. Of the 101 participants, nearly three-quarters (72%) reported emotional exhaustion, more than one-third (43%) reported de-personalisation and three-quarters (74%) experienced reduced personal accomplishment. Read on.