Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, May 5 communities across Canada and throughout the world will celebrate the International Day of the Midwife. I rise in the House today to acknowledge the role midwives play as key partners in efforts to tackle maternal, newborn and infant mortality, worldwide and here at home.
Canada and the world need midwives now more than ever. They provide close-to-home primary care during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. Midwives provide a safe, effective and low-cost solution to the challenges still faced by women in rural, remote and particularly aboriginal communities across Canada.
In the lead up to the International Day of the Midwife, I join women and their families in recognizing the contributions of midwives to building healthy communities and celebrate the potential to build on this success for all women across Canada.