THE FUTURE OF MIDWIFERY: A FUNDAMENTAL PROFESSION FOR SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

Abstract

This past August, midwifery commemorated 191 years of professional practice in Chile. In light of this significant history, discussing its future is not merely about projecting the discipline into the coming years, but about positioning it at the heart of the challenges that social sustainability entails. In a world strained by persistent inequalities and rapid social and demographic transformations, the role of midwifery becomes strategic for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to health and well-being, gender equality, and the reduction of inequalities.

Midwifery is not limited to attending births or providing prenatal care; its essence lies in a preventive and salutogenic perspective—that is, in the capacity to promote health beyond the absence of disease. The salutogenic approach recognizes that early-life interventions—from preconception, gestation, and birth to lactation—shape the health potential not only of the newborn but also of future generations. Scientific evidence confirms that these stages are critical windows that define trajectories of well-being or vulnerability. Therefore, the role of midwives transcends the individual and stands as a transgenerational public health strategy.

Consequently, it is necessary to reposition midwifery as a profession for social sustainability. Its contribution is not confined to reducing maternal and neonatal mortality—though this remains fundamental—but also extends to fostering healthy, equitable, and rights-respecting family and community environments for women throughout their life course. Every birth attended with dignity, every adolescent empowered in their sexual and reproductive health, every breastfeeding journey supported under conditions of equality, and every adult woman receiving perimenopausal and climacteric care centered on her needs contributes to more just and sustainable societies.

The future will not be lenient with health systems that persist in fragmentation and curative models. It will demand professions that understand the structural impact of early-life care and that provide innovative solutions to emerging problems. Midwifery, with its historical roots and its profoundly humanistic calling, is poised to play a leading role here, integrating science, care, and social justice in a single act of service.

The question is not whether midwifery will have a role in the future, but rather how societies and institutions will recognize and enhance its capacity to transform health and equity in the long term. The answer to this question holds the key to achieving not only the SDGs but also a more dignified, resilient, and sustainable vision for humanity.