Dawit Tamiru knew he wanted to be a midwife when he was just about 10 years old.
It started the day his mother — a street vendor in Ethiopia — gave birth to his younger sister. After the little girl arrived something wasn't right: His mother had not delivered the placenta as typically happens after the birth. He recalls that the traditional birth attendant, who Tamiru says had minimal training, advised his mother that perhaps she was having twins and they should wait to see if another baby came.
Tamiru recalls watching his mother bleeding at home and deteriorating.
"She was gasping and having difficulty," he remembers. "I was very young. I was very nervous. I didn't know what to do. It was hard to wait, and I just prayed."
A cousin recommended taking her to the hospital. Tamiru had to stay at home but he was able to go the next day and visit his mom.
"When I saw her the next morning, [she was] safe. I couldn't believe it. I just thanked my God, and I said, 'Who did that? Who saved my mother's life?' "
The hospital staff told him: The midwives.
"I was very inspired," he says.
From that moment on, Tamiru had his mind set on becoming a midwife.
Today, he's an assistant professor of midwifery at Haramaya University and heads the School of Midwifery at Haramaya University Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized Hospital.
He says he now understands that his mother could have easily bled to death if a midwife at the hospital hadn't put on elbow length gloves and carefully removed the placenta.
Tamiru can think of countless times where a midwife has saved the life of a mother or a child. And he's become concerned that there aren't enough midwives for all the women delivering babies. His concern is backed up by the numbers.
Research published in February 2026 found a shortage of almost 1 million midwives.
"Every single region in the world needs more midwives," explains Daniela Drandić, who is a co-author on the paper and works at the International Confederation of Midwives. "Africa has about 47% of the share of the global shortage, but they're doing a really good job to close that gap."
A study, published in the Lancet Global Health in 2020, forecast that, if the number of midwives increased to universal coverage levels, 67% of maternal deaths could be averted as well as 64% of neonatal deaths and 65% of stillbirths. This equates to more than 4 million lives saved each year. According to WHO, in the last decade, progress on reducing maternal and child deaths has largely stalled.
Geeta Lal — the global midwifery program coordinator at the United Nations Population Fund — singled out Ethiopia as a country with high maternal mortality that has championed midwifery as a way to improve the situation. In 2008, the country had just over 1,000 midwives and now Lal estimates the number is over 20,000.
"Progress has been huge," she says. "We've made a dent and there is growing conviction now that these models of care work but there is a long way to go."
Knowing what these numbers mean in personal terms is part of what motivated Tamiru to launch a local campaign in Ethiopia to boost awareness of the profession — part of a global effort. "I placed large posters in high traffic areas at the university gates, where thousands of students and staff pass daily. I also spoke at schools, community gatherings, in the public spaces — anywhere people were willing to listen," he says. "I focused on why maternal and newborn health matters and how midwives are essential."
May 5 is International Day of the Midwife. This year's theme is "one million more."
NPR spoke with Tamiru about his life and his work — as well as what it's like being a male in midwife. Here are highlights from the conversation, edited for length and clarity.
Since you were a boy, watching your mother struggle, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health has worked to boost the number of midwives. What changes have you seen? And what's still needed?
I have noticed the difference.
So, looking back at the trends, especially over the last two decades, as the number of midwives has grown, it has become more rare to see maternal diseases these days in our [urban] hospitals. The change feels obvious and it is visible, not only for the professional but also for any person around. It is becoming more uncommon to see mothers dying in delivery or because of pregnancy complications.
But there is [also] a shortage and it's obvious, especially in rural areas.
In the Ethiopian context, more than 80% of the country is rural. So, for many of these families it can be far to access health services. Much of the time, after midwifery students complete their training they choose to work around cities. So I think the government should prioritize and incentivize midwives to work in rural and hard-to-reach areas.
Midwifery is a field that is often thought of as dominated by females. How do you think about this as a man?
It is a common misconception.
I think anyone, regardless of the gender, could provide this service — anyone who is skilled, knowledgeable and compassionate for childbirthing women and newborns. I think the most important factor is passion.
However, I have, for example, been teaching midwifery courses in neighboring countries — like Somalia — and I have seen midwives are always expected to be female. This is just not the case in our setting, Ethiopia. For example, in the [midwifery] class I am teaching now, 50% of the students are male and maybe 50% female. It is the same in every section I teach and, in my class [when I was a student], I think more of the students were male.
How is it to be a male midwife?
There is no mistreatment from spouses or relatives. We are perceived as medical personnel. It is common. It's already part of the culture. It's not a new thing.
At the beginning of 2025, the U.S. made big cuts of foreign aid. Has that had an impact on your work and midwifery in Ethiopia?
It was very disastrous. The cut from USAID [U.S. Agency for International Development] has impacted a lot, a lot, especially in maternal health and midwifery. Lots of projects were just canceled immediately and certain drugs, that used to be given for mothers, are now very problematic to secure.
For example, for those pregnant mothers who have Rh-negative blood but the baby has Rh-positive blood it can be a problem. Especially after the first pregnancy — in the second pregnancy — this can be fatal for the fetus. So to prevent these fetal deaths, there is a drug given but this drug was supported by USAID.
The cuts are causing mothers to face pregnancy without any drugs. It is causing them to lose their babies. And it's common in my public hospital. We see babies dying during labor and delivery. It's quite challenging to be honest.
[NPR reached out to the State Department for comment but did not receive a reply by the deadline.]
What does your mother say about your career in midwifery?
When I first told her, I will become someone just like the person who saved your life, she was very proud and emotional at that time. And I did it. It did come true.
I believe mothers are the pillar of the house, the pillar of the family and the pillar of the community. So whenever I had the idea of studying something besides midwifery, [this belief] was in the back of my mind.
So no second thoughts about your career choice?
I didn't think twice.
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