Exploring Maternal Health in Ethiopia Using Indigenous Approaches: Policy and Practice Implications

Abstract

The World Health Organization reports reveal that the average risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes in sub-Saharan Africa is about 1 in 45 compared to 1 in 5,400 in high-income countries. In Ethiopia, maternal mortality remains a tremendous problem. Several studies associate the high maternal mortality ratio to the widespread practice of home birth, household income, and lack of transportation. Absent from the findings of these studies is any discussion of the sociocultural contexts that might influence maternal health service utilization. Birthing bears cultural significance accompanied by rituals. Thus, any solution to maternal health problems must consider the sociocultural and grassroots context. It is important to learn the needs and priorities of the mothers who are targets of maternal health policies. Using Indigenous approaches, this study examines the gaps in Ethiopian maternal health policies and programs. The study also identifies culturally relevant solutions that address the needs of communities.

Racism and access to maternal health care among garo indigenous women in Bangladesh: A qualitative descriptive study

“…This finding adds to the prior studies that examined how Indigenous identity-based racial discrimination is ignored by institutions providing biomedical care services [ 3 , 21 ]. In contrast, this study diverges from previous research conducted in Ethiopia, where Indigenous women faced difficulties in accessing maternal healthcare primarily due to the actual scarcity of healthcare resources [ 42 ]. However, the study involving Garo Indigenous women in Bangladesh underscores that the main obstacle they encounter is institutional racism within healthcare facilities, rooted in their Indigenous identity.…”

“…In Bangladesh, limited research focuses on Indigenous women's experiences with racism and maternity care [38], in contrast to global research in countries like the United States, Mexico, and India [7,32]. Most research on healthcare access and racism centers on patients' perceptions of provider bias or implicit discrimination [39][40][41][42][43][44], with few exploring its direct health effects [39,45]. These studies often lack a contextspecific understanding of intersectionality and overlook the perspectives of Indigenous women who face compounded prejudice and implicit bias due to various aspects of their identity such as gender and economic class.…”

The Effects of the Maternal Health Improvement Project in the Louga Region of Senegal

“…Mothers with low educational attainment do not receive antenatal examinations, which prevent the early detection of complications that may occur during pregnancy and the opportunity for timely appropriate treatment is missed, resulting in increased disease morbidity [ 13 , 19 ]. A high rate of delivery at home increases the risk of complications due to the inability to cope with unexpected situations such as maternal bleeding and risk of suffocation of the newborn infant during childbirth [ 19 , 20 ]. Therefore, to effectively reduce the maternal mortality rate, efforts need to be made to improve educational opportunities that directly influence women’s use of medical services.…”