Most maternal and newborn deaths and lifelong harm are preventable with high-quality, evidence-based care before, during and after pregnancy and birth. When educated and regulated to international standards and given the support they need, midwives can provide up to 90% of essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health services, working in collaboration with other health professionals when complications arise.

In many settings, however, midwives still lack sufficient institutional support and access to evidence-based clinical guidance, continuous learning and professional development. Without such support, midwives cannot practise to their full potential.

The Safe Delivery Programme is a comprehensive approach to strengthening the knowledge, skills and confidence of midwives. It aims to become part of the systems and structures that enable them to provide high-quality care.

At the centre of the Programme is the Safe Delivery App, providing midwives with accessible, evidence based clinical guidance and learning. The App can also be used offline, supporting access to essential knowledge where connectivity is limited.

Microlearning underpins the Safe Delivery App: short, repeated learning activities that help midwives remember what they learn and use it in practice. Methods such as spaced repetition and active recall reinforce learning, keeping knowledge fresh long after initial training and formal education.

Around the App, the Programme brings together complementary Building Blocks that support integration within national health systems. Together, these elements create a pathway for translating knowledge and learning into improved practice and quality of care. Ultimately, this helps reduce preventable maternal and newborn death and injury.

Building blocks of the Safe Delivery Programme

The Programme’s long-term ambition is institutionalisation: supporting national health systems to own, finance, implement and sustain the App and wider learning approach, with Maternity Foundation providing technical expertise and support to strengthen national capacity and systems.