Our Search Pack of the Month for July celebrates South Asian Heritage Month.
South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM) is a nationally observed programme in the month of July dedicated to “celebrating and educating on the histories, cultures and contributions of South Asian communities across the UK and beyond”. Following its establishment in 2020, SAHM has grown to engage over 400 million people around the world each year. At its core, the month aims to:
- Amplify the diverse heritage linking the UK with South Asia
- Celebrate the impact of South Asian culture on British life
- Create space for South Asian communities to share their stories
Today, people of South Asian heritage represent approximately one in every fourteen people in the UK, making their contributions an integral part of our society.
The theme for 2026, “Unity in Diversity”, highlights the vibrancy and range of South Asian communities in the UK and globally. South Asia itself is incredibly diverse, comprised of eight countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – hundreds of languages, multiple faiths, and thousands of years of history. The theme invites us to explore what connects people across these differences, while celebrating the strength that diversity brings.
In a midwifery context, “Unity in Diversity” offers an opportunity to reflect on how maternity care practices vary across cultures and regions, including throughout South Asia. While approaches to pregnancy, birth and postnatal care may differ, midwifery worldwide is united by a common purpose: supporting women and families.
Our Search Pack of the Month for July – M74: Midwifery in Asia – explores the experiences and practices of both maternity professionals and women across Asia, including South Asia. By engaging with this literature, we can broaden our understanding of global midwifery practices, learn from evidence-based approaches used in different cultural contexts, and strengthen culturally sensitive maternity care.
Some highlights from the pack include:
- ‘Exploring the attitudes and beliefs of women regarding the implementation of midwife-led care in India: A mixed methods study’, Sangy MT, Duaso MJ, Feeley C, et al (2024), Women and Birth: Journal of the Australian College of Midwives vol 37, no 6, November 2025
- ‘Associations of antenatal care visit with utilization of institutional delivery care services in Afghanistan: intersections of education, wealth, and household decision-making autonomy’, Rahman M, Saha P, Uddin J (2022), BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth vol 22, no 255, 26 March 2022
- ‘Midwives’ perceptions of barriers to exclusive breastfeeding in Bhutan: a qualitative study’, Pemo K, Philips D, Hutchinson AM (2020), Women and Birth: Journal of the Australian College of Midwives vol 33, no 4, pp. E377-E384
We must also acknowledge health inequalities that persist for South Asian women in the UK: a recent MBRRACE report looking at maternal mortality in the UK from 2022-2024 found that Asian women’s risk of maternal death was slightly higher compared to White women (Source: MBRRACE). By understanding contributing factors, which include access to care, language barriers and cultural difference, we can work towards improving outcomes and ensuring equitable maternity care for all.
Organisations such as the Royal College of Midwives are taking steps to work towards ensuring parity in outcomes and care for all mothers, including their publication of a Decolonising Midwifery Toolkit, which aims to “empower midwifery educators to challenge the implicit and explicit legacies of colonial perspectives in all aspects of midwifery education” in their curriculum development.
Other resources include ASAM – the Association of South Asian Midwives – an organisation dedicated to improving maternity care for South Asian women and their babies. They work to address the challenges and disparities that South Asian women face during pregnancy and childbirth through education, empowerment and advocacy.
Additionally, the JANAM app has been created to improve communication and access to information for South Asian mothers. Packed with evidence-based information from national and international guidelines, mental health support and an audio-visual format available in English, Urdu, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali and Tamil, its goal is to tackle health inequalities and promote better maternal health outcomes.
Through spotlighting a wealth of research on the topic of ‘Midwifery in Asia’ though July’s Search Pack of the Month, we hope to support the improvement of evidence-based, culturally sensitive maternity care in the UK and further afield, to promote equitable care for all.
What are MIDIRS Search Packs?
Our Search Packs are pre-made literature searches on topics within maternity research. They contain a comprehensive bibliographic list of articles as well as article abstracts. You can find a list of all of our Search Packs and information on accessing them here. If you require a more specific search, our librarians are also on hand to provide bespoke literature searches, which can be ordered on our Products and Services page.
Take a look back at articles on the topic of midwifery in Asia that have featured in past editions of MIDIRS Midwifery Digest:
‘A new maternal health profession in India: how professional midwifery is perceived by women, and by the midwives themselves.’ Andy Beckingham, Evita Fernandez (March 2018)
This article reports on the development of a model of midwifery care in one Indian hospital which aims instead to ‘humanise childbirth’ and to discover – through a pilot programme – whether in India, a new midwifery profession could bring about more compassionate, respectful, evidence-based maternity care. Since a major objective in developing ‘professional midwifery’ was to achieve woman-centred care, this new profession is examined mainly through the words of the women themselves.
‘The Bangladesh Midwifery Society – celebrating the first ever midwifery awards in Bangladesh!’ Joy Kemp, Prabhleen Mann, Eliz Bannon (June 2022)
International engagement is a small but significant part of the work of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM). Our vision states an ambition to be a voice for midwives internationally and we have a dedicated international team.
‘What is a quality maternity service? Reflections after an elective placement in Bhotechaur, Nepal, supported by the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust’ Alison Norris (June 2011)
Alison Norris gives an insight into the health provision for women in Nepal which she visited on an elective placement supported by the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust. She discusses the differences in access to care between the UK and Nepal and reflects upon her experiences and the inspiring Nepali colleagues she met during her placement.
To read these papers in full, plus thousands more midwifery-related articles, subscribe to MIDIRS and access our full MIC database, as well as our quarterly Digest.
