Midwifery training in Brazil: context, challenges and perspectives

Abstract

This article describes the creation process of the first direct-entry Midwifery Course in Brazil, at the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities of the University of São Paulo, Brazil. It presents the course's political-educational project and the theoretical references that support it; the movements or resistances that are opposed to the training and registration of midwives; the challenges that need to be overcome. Finally, the paper presents the foreseen perspectives of contribution of these professionals towards the improvement of healthcare quality, the decrease in maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality rates, as well as of unnecessary cesarean sections in the country.