PURPOSE:
To present the implementation of a national midwifery education program launched in 2024 as part of Brazil’s newest public policy for women’s health. The initiative aims to reduce maternal mortality, decentralize midwifery education, and strengthen the Unified Health System (SUS) by expanding access to qualified care for women and newborns.

DISCUSSION:
In Brazil, fewer than half of certified midwives work in the public health system, and educational opportunities are unevenly distributed, particularly in regions with high maternal mortality rates, such as the Legal Amazon. To address these inequities, a midwifery education program is being implemented from 2025 to 2027. Publicly funded by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, it involves 37 public universities and schools of public health and offers 750 places for SUS professionals working in territories marked by social vulnerability and adverse maternal health indicators. The curriculum combines theoretical coursework, supervised clinical practice, and an education-intervention-evaluation methodology, articulated with health services and anchored in territories of care.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
Expanding midwifery education within the SUS addresses deep-rooted structural inequities in Brazil’s maternal health workforce. Although 13,722 midwives are registered nationally, only 46 percent are employed in the public health system, reflecting a critical shortage in regions with high maternal mortality. Additionally, Brazil’s density of five midwives per 1,000 live births is far below international benchmarks, which range from 25 to 68. Public investment in education programs focused on vulnerable territories has the potential to expand workforce capacity, enhance midwives’ autonomy, and advance person-centered, equity-driven models of care in areas historically marked by reproductive injustice.

KEY MESSAGE:
By investing in midwifery education in its most vulnerable territories, Brazil reinforces the public system, expands access to equitable care, and addresses structural injustice. This decision is aligned with international recommendations from the ICM and WHO for strengthening maternal health through qualified midwives. Poster session 1 (Group A)