[1] Its stated goal is to unify and strengthen the profession of midwifery, thereby improving the quality of health care for women, babies, and communities.
Officers were chosen and a newsletter Practicing Midwife (changed to MANA News in 1983) was established.
[4] Much of MANA's organizational energy has been directed toward making national midwifery certification acceptable and workable within the medical community and thereby accessible to women.
[1] Out of the formal support network generated by MANA, the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) was established in 1991.
In conjunction with NARM, it accredits a wide variety of direct-entry midwifery educational programs, including apprenticeships, thus formally validating and preserving ancient as well as modern routes to practice.