When war is on the agenda, women and babies come under `any other business': Petra ten Hoope-Bender, Secretary General of the ICM, stresses the need to keep women's and babies' health high on the international agenda.

• Auteur: ten Hoope-Bender, Petra
• Tenlastelegging: Brief Article

The ICM, on behalf of midwives, along with the international bodies representing doctors, nurses, dentists and physiotherapists, has issued a strong statement setting out the effects that war will have on vulnerable civilian populations, and calling on governments to find non-violent means of resolving conflict. The full text with details of the author organisations appears on the back page of this issue of Inter-national Midwifery. We acknowledge the efforts made by the International Council of Nurses, in particular, to co-ordinate this initiative.

Whether this appeal--or any of the many others going out to governments--will have an effect we do not know. But we do know that while the focus of much of the world is on the possibility of war and terrorist attacks, then in many countries:

* Financial reserves will go to support defence and security, not health

* Scarce health resources will be channelled towards care for the armed forces and those injured in hostilities

* Men--and some women and some teenage boys--will be called to serve in the armed forces, leaving their families materially disadvantaged and exposed to fear, anxiety and risk of attack

* Some familes will be split up and forced to move away from their homes, destroting their livelihoods and networks of social support

* The nation's infrastructure, including transport, and provision of clean water and sanitation, will be at risk of direct damage, abuse and lack of proper maintenance

* Women expecting babies, or caring for small children, will be less able to gain access to what healthcare is available

* Initiatives to improve care for mothers and babies are less likely than ever to gain attention, funding or resources.

What can midwives do?

The ICM will continue to take whatever direct action it can, in influencing national and international decision-makers to avoid outright war. At the same time, it is more important than ever to keep up the ongoing work of supporting midwives--particularly where there are acute shortages of human and other resources--by strengthening midwifery associations in membership, and promoting both ethical recruitment practices and robust legislation and regulation for midwives.

Leadership to take the profession forward, and ensure it holds its rightful place among other disciplines, is an important quality. ICM has worked with the Maternal & Neonatal Health programme from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, in its initiative to run regional...