Traditional and Skilled Birth Attendants in Zimbabwe: A Situational Analysis and Some Policy Considerations

Abstract

The paper focuses on the situational analysis of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and skilled birth attendants (SBAs) in Zimbabwe. Against a background of a frail health care system, characterised by a shortage in skilled professionals, increased cost of medical care, and geographic and economic inaccessibility of health care centres among others, TBAs have remained a life-line for especially many rural women in maternal health care provision. Moreover, TBAs have also found their way into the urban areas of Zimbabwe. The shift in international policy and health funding toward skilled birth attendants (i.e., an accredited health professional) has materialized into concerted government efforts to increase numbers of both midwifery training institutions and midwives themselves. The call for SBAs, though a worthy ideal, is out of touch with the lived realities of pregnant women in low resource settings such as Zimbabwe. The study is concerned with situational analysis of TBAs and SBAs in maternal health care service provision in Zimbabwe analysing and evaluating policy considerations.

<p>Maternal Delays for Institutional Delivery and Associated Factors Among Postnatal Mothers at Public Health Facilities of Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia</p>

“…Skilled birth attendants play an important role in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality because they provide timely obstetric and newborn care for life-threatening complications. 10 According to available evidence, illiteracy, poor knowledge on danger signs at labor and childbirth, inadequate birth preparedness and its complication readiness, decision-making powers of women, distance, lack of transport, lack of skilled health provider, lack of obstetric drugs were factors that contribute to three maternal delays. 11,12,13 Even if the number of studies conducted in the country were identified factors associated with maternal delays for institutional delivery service utilization in urban settings, there is still information gap as well as minimal evidence on maternal delays for institutional delivery service utilization and associated factors among postnatal mothers in rural part of Ethiopia.…”

Opportunities and obstacles to screening for perinatal depression among women in Zimbabwe: A narrative review of literature

“…Pregnant women in Zimbabwe have been reported to also seek help from non-medical practitioners. 22 This provides an opportunity for integrating activities of traditional medical practitioners with their biomedical counterparts. 18 , 23 Such integration would contribute towards increasing awareness of mental health problems that women may suffer during the perinatal period so that appropriate interventions can be instituted.…”

Repositioning traditional birth attendants to provide improved maternal healthcare services in rural Ghana

“…Training TBAs is not new; it has been advocated for and implemented as far back as the 1960s and 1970s. 17 However, most of training programs were sometimes ill suited, and others were later discontinued because of lack of funds. Most of the early training programs were designed and sponsored by the WHO and other NGOs.…”