OBJECTIVES: to examine the present-day knowledge formation and practice of indigenous Kaqchikel-speaking midwives, with special attention to their interactions with the Guatemalan medical community, training models, and allopathic knowledge in general. DESIGN/PARTICIPANTS: a qualitative study consisting of participant-observation in lay midwife training programs; in-depth interviews with 44 practicing indigenous midwives; and three focus groups with midwives of a local non-governmental organization. SETTING: Kaqchikel Maya-speaking communities in the Guatemalan highlands. FINDINGS: the cumulative undermining effects of marginalization, cultural and linguistic barriers, and poorly designed training programs contribute to the failure of lay midwife-focused initiatives in Guatemala to improve maternal-child health outcomes. Furthermore, in contrast to prevailing assumptions, Kaqchikel Maya midwives integrate allopathic obstetrical knowledge into their practice at a high level. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: as indigenous midwives in Guatemala will continue to provide a large fraction of the obstetrical services among rural populations for many years to come, maternal-child policy initiatives must take into account that: (1)Guatemalan midwife training programs can be significantly improved when instruction occurs in local languages, such as Kaqchikel, and (2)indigenous midwives' increasing allopathic repertoire may serve as a productive ground for synergistic collaborations between lay midwives and the allopathic medical community.
OBJECTIVES: to examine the present-day knowledge formation and practice of indigenous Kaqchikel-speaking midwives, with special attention to their interactions with the Guatemalan medical community, training models, and allopathic knowledge in general. DESIGN/PARTICIPANTS: a qualitative study consisting of participant-observation in lay midwife training programs; in-depth interviews with 44 practicing indigenous midwives; and three focus groups with midwives of a local non-governmental organization. SETTING: Kaqchikel Maya-speaking communities in the Guatemalan highlands. FINDINGS: the cumulative undermining effects of marginalization, cultural and linguistic barriers, and poorly designed training programs contribute to the failure of lay midwife-focused initiatives in Guatemala to improve maternal-child health outcomes. Furthermore, in contrast to prevailing assumptions, Kaqchikel Maya midwives integrate allopathic obstetrical knowledge into their practice at a high level. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: as indigenous midwives in Guatemala will continue to provide a large fraction of the obstetrical services among rural populations for many years to come, maternal-child policy initiatives must take into account that: (1)Guatemalan midwife training programs can be significantly improved when instruction occurs in local languages, such as Kaqchikel, and (2)indigenous midwives' increasing allopathic repertoire may serve as a productive ground for synergistic collaborations between lay midwives and the allopathic medical community.
Authors: Boris Martinez; Rachel Hall-Clifford; Enma Coyote; Lisa Stroux; Camilo E Valderrama; Christopher Aaron; Aaron Francis; Cate Hendren; Peter Rohloff; Gari D Clifford Journal: J Health Inform Dev Ctries Date: 2017
Authors: Boris Martinez; Enma Coyote Ixen; Rachel Hall-Clifford; Michel Juarez; Ann C Miller; Aaron Francis; Camilo E Valderrama; Lisa Stroux; Gari D Clifford; Peter Rohloff Journal: Reprod Health Date: 2018-07-04 Impact factor: 3.223
Authors: Iván Sarmiento; Sergio Paredes-Solís; Anna Dion; Hilah Silver; Emily Vargas; Paloma Cruz; Juan Pimentel; Germán Zuluaga; Anne Cockcroft; Neil Andersson Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2021-12-23 Impact factor: 2.692