The State of the World's Midwifery 2014 is a key tool in supporting national, regional and international policy dialogue on sexual, reproductive, maternal and newborn health. It provides detailed analysis of the present progress and future challenges to deliver effective coverage of midwifery services, with specific attention to the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of the midwifery workforce and in particular midwives. The report finds that midwives, when educated and regulated to international standards, can provide 87% of the essential interventions for sexual, reproductive, maternal and newborn health and are a 'best buy' in primary health care.