By Awadia Omer Mohd Khatir, RMW/ RN/IBCLC, Dubai Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, UAE
IntrodUctIon In spite of the gains that the midwifery profession has made internationally, it still faces many challenges in the UAE. Healthcare authorities are trying very hard to promote this profession but face many challenges in
doing so. One obstacle is the public, and especially women in the UAE’s, unawareness of what a midwife does and what her role is. Whilst the difference between nursing and midwifery is not known to local women, the need for midwives has driven healthcare
organisations to launch short midwifery courses for their registered nurses - but will this solve the serious shortage of midwives in the UAE? Will this attract the young, local generation to this new field? I will try and discuss some of these issues in this article.