By Mahmood Mwanduka, DevReporter, Kilifi County
Key Highlights
- Kilifi County residents and traditional birth attendants from the county urge the county government to train local midwives in rural areas.
- Women prefer delivery services offered by traditional midwives in Kilifi.
- Five hundred and fifty out of 100,000 mothers in Kilifi die due to pregnancy-related complications.
Kilifi County residents and traditional birth attendants from the county have called on the county government to train at least one traditional midwife in every village.
The residents argue that while the government is committed to ensuring safe deliveries for women, excluding traditional birth attendants from providing their services jeopardises the lives of many expectant mothers in rural areas.
Joyce Yaah, a traditional midwife in Rabai with over 30 years of experience, is in her mid-70s and criticises both the county and national governments for attempting to prevent these women from offering their services.
“Let us have these traditional midwives in our neighbourhoods and in every village. There should be someone who understands and can provide delivery services when the need arises,” she said.
Traditional birth attendants in Kilifi County and beyond have been invaluable, especially in rural areas that lack health facilities.
Despite having no formal training, these attendants—mostly women—have successfully assisted hundreds, if not thousands, of expectant mothers during delivery.
Pregnancy-Related Complications
However, a recent report released by the National Bureau of Statistics on maternal and infant mortality reveals that approximately 550 out of 100,000 mothers in Kilifi County die each year due to pregnancy-related complications.
Statistics from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) indicate that access to skilled birth attendance has improved by 70%, rising from 62%, yet the global maternal death rate remains over 80% due to poor-quality care.
Kilifi County Health Coordinator Kenneth Miriti linked the maternal death crisis to a preference for traditional birth attendants, incidences of abortion, and inadequate uptake of maternal health interventions in health facilities.
“There are many cases of women dying, particularly during pregnancy or from abortions, and these women often die at home. However, the number of deaths occurring in hospitals due to such complications is minimal,” said Miriti.
Rely on Traditional Midwives
Despite the alarming figures concerning maternal deaths due to pregnancy complications, a significant number of women, especially in rural areas, continue to rely on traditional midwives for their services.
Joyce attributes this reliance to several things including poor hospital services, the long distances to health facilities, low income, emergencies, and other factors.
Instead of banning traditional birth attendants, residents of Kilifi have urged the government to train and register them to provide maternity care in rural areas. For women in these regions, the long distances to medical facilities often prevent them from reaching health services in time for childbirth.
Kenya’s Vision 2030, along with the Global Sustainable Development Goals, aims to reduce the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) to 113 per 100,000 live births.
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