Like in other countries, the midwifery profession in Malta is historically female-dominated. In Malta, formal training began in the 19th century, but through medical lecturers, not practicing midwives.
The UM’s Department of Midwifery has since then made strides with its members of staff all conducting research in areas such as the transition to parenthood, neonatal care and perinatal mental health while passing on the discipline and preparing effective and efficient midwives.
However, so far, all the individuals who have graduated from the Midwifery course have been females.
Fast-forward to July 2025, and Nathan Zahra Piscopo is the first male student to have successfully completed his studies in Midwifery. He will be gracing the graduation stage at Sir Temi Zammit Hall this coming November.
His achievement marks a historic milestone in Malta’s healthcare and reflects broader global shifts toward inclusivity in the profession.
The Newspoint team has reached out to Nathan, who is elated to be contributing to this profession and looks forward to assisting couples transition into parenthood.
Fun fact:
The word midwife literally means “with woman”. The ‘mid’ comes from Old English and means ‘with’, whereas the word “wife” originally just meant woman, not necessarily someone’s spouse. So one can say, a midwife is someone who is “with woman” during childbirth: a supportive skilled helped at one of the most intense and miraculous moments of life.
