They’re often called the unsung heroes of the health service, but midwives do a fierce job of bringing new lives into the world.

And whether a midwife works in a modern hospital equipped with birthing pools and stringent hygiene protocols, or a health centre in a developing country with no water supply or working toilets, they all share one thing in common: a love of delivering babies.

In celebration of the work that midwives do, international charity WaterAid travelled the globe to interview and photograph midwives and new mums around the world in the hours and days after they had given birth. The images also highlight the vital importance of sanitation and clean water when giving birth.

Here, you can meet some of the hero midwives delivering babies in every corner of the globe, from the UK and Canada, to Malawi, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Bangladesh.

All images: courtesy of WaterAid

From Malawi to the UK: meet the hero midwives delivering babies around the world