Public perspectives on availability, accessibility and quality of midwifery services in the United Arab Emirates (UAE): Thematic analysis of an open-ended survey question.

Authors

Maeve Anne O'Connell, Khadija Al Sulaimi, Rasha Salah Eweida, Joanna Andrews, Joeri Vermeulen

Published in

European journal of midwifery. Volume 10. Epub Jul 03, 2026.

Abstract

The UAE is facing a critical shortage in the midwifery workforce. Maternity care is predominantly obstetric-led. The UAE government is committed to increasing the number of midwives by 38 per year until 2030 and has invested in midwifery education, with the first direct-entry Bachelor's degree programs in midwifery available. However, little is known about public perspectives on the availability, accessibility and quality of midwifery services in the UAE. Our aim was to explore public perspectives on challenges and gaps in midwifery services in the UAE.
An exploratory qualitative study was conducted using responses to an open-ended question within a bilingual (English/Arabic) online survey distributed across the UAE via social media and snowball sampling from November 2024 to February 2025. Responses to the open-ended question were analyzed thematically.
Out of 207 (100%) survey respondents, 119 (57%) answered the open-ended question. Thematic analysis identified five central themes: limited availability and accessibility of midwifery services; cultural and public perceptions of midwives; limited scope of practice and autonomy for midwives; education, awareness and professional development; and quality and scope of postpartum care.
The findings highlight significant public support for the expansion and enhancement of midwifery services in the UAE. Tackling the identified challenges has the potential to improve the quality and accessibility of maternity care, empower women's choices and strengthen midwives' contribution to national maternal health objectives. Embedding midwifery reforms into national strategies will help the UAE meet its healthcare goals, including those outlined in Vision 2030, by building a sustainable, evidence-based, high-quality maternity care system.

PMID:
42428977
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 10 Jul 2026.

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