The Role Of Traditional Birth Attendants In Promoting Maternal And Child Health Delivery In The Central Gonja And Yendi Districts

Abstract

Maternal and Child Health Care (MCH) has been a challenge to government, Nongovernmental Organisations (NGOs,) service providers and beneficiaries in all developing countries. In fact, it is an area on which a lot of government resources are expended to with the ultimate goal of reducing maternal and child mortality. Majority of the people in developing countries live in rural communities, most of whom do not readily access proper health care. It was in the light of this that the study was designed to find out the contribution of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) in promoting Maternal and Child Health most especially in rural settings aimed at contributing to the overall reduction of mortality among and their under five children. Methodologically, the study was designed to collect information from service providers (TBAs) and beneficiaries (mothers). To effectively generate the data structured interviews and focus group discussion were employed. The study revealed that TBAs played a very important role in MCH by assisting pregnant women to deliver and helping in the bathing of newly born babies as well as helping in the referring of cases in times of complications. The study also showed that the TBAs were not motivated enough by community members and the government; as a result they demand the requisite training to broaden their knowledge and skills on better ways of facilitating safe and clean delivery. It is recommended that the TBAs should be seen as important partners in the MCH and that efforts should be made by government and the District Health Management Team (DHMTs) to reach out to them and build their capacity to enable them deliver quality services in their communities and beyond. The TBAs cannot perform effectively without the tools and logistics they require to work with. Government, the District Assembles, the Ministry of Health and NGOs should provive TBAs with the needed tools and facilities to work with, and training to make them more efficient.