RESUMO
Improving health and survival of mothers and newborns depends on the delivery of evidence-based cost effective interventions through a skilled care provider. Evidence suggests that midwives are compassionate skilled care providers to mothers, and ensuring these skilled human resources is a key to progress towards Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5. With this in mind, this article analyses the state of midwifery in Nepal and what strategies are needed to ensuretheir accessibility and availability. In Nepal, as a result of community mobilization through Female Community Health Volunteers for birth preparedness and complication readiness, there has been a demand for skilled care at birth. However the supply of skilled birth attendants has been inadequate both in terms of number as well as quality of care.