Rekindling of Nurse-Midwifery in Brazil: Public Policy and Childbirth Trends

In the last decade, nurse-midwifery in Brazil has experienced many changes both professionally and politically. In the 1990s, Brazil's Ministry of Health generated policies to improve childbirth services. Included in these policy initiatives was legislation for the reimbursement of nurse-midwifery services and a substantial increase in financing of nurse-midwifery schools throughout the country. It was during this period that the Brazilian National Nurse-Midwifery Organization was formed to provide professional leadership and an alternative model of childbirth care. The future is hopeful, but the nurse-midwifery profession will need collective determination to succeed in changing practices and improving services to women and families.