The health issue that is very rampant in the country of Guatemala is maternal mortality. For my final project, I have chosen to research about maternal mortality with focus on the intersectional discrimination between indigenous and non-indigenous Guatemalans. Using the feminist anthropological theory, I want to examine the effects of basic access and education for female reproductive healthcare services.
Addressing this issue culturally is very important as old, traditional practices in the birth and pregnancy process for a mother can sometimes be risky. Developing countries like Guatemala with strong ties to tradition can experience maternal mortality rates up to 20 times more than the mortality rates experienced in developed nations (Walsh, 2006). The attendance of a traditional birth assistant is common for 59% of births in Guatemala. Most often called a comadrona or a midwife, they are typically known to assist in the birth of indigenous children at the home, and help in pre- and post-natal care (Walsh, 2006). Comadronas perform rituals not limited to praying and fanning herbal incense in the home to traditionally ensure the health of mother and baby. Though, the typical lack of formal education of a comadrona is concerning as complications can arise with the labor, birth, and post-natal status of the new mother and baby. An epidemiological study in Guatemala showed that maternal mortality cases were 16.8% more common in non-hospital settings, while risks were even greater with indigenous women (Tzul et al., 2006). Blame may not fall on the midwives as their clients lack the understanding of knowledge related to the labor and birthing process (Berry, 2005). Among other things, Guatemala’s multi-ethnic population has traditional beliefs with women not wanting to stray from their cultural birth rituals and/or social acceptance in the ignorance of birthing knowledge making maternal mortality a flag-raising issue on both fronts.
From a public health standpoint, maternal mortality is apparent and pressing as prospective mothers’ lives are at risk everyday. It is considered an indicator for suffering in the forms of poverty, lack of access to exceptional healthcare. Every single day, around 830 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and birth (World Health Organization). The maternal mortality rate in Indigenous women are two to three times more likely to die during childbirth than non-indigenous women (Juarez et al., 2019). In the event that midwives accurately refer their pregnant client to the hospital, mostly the Indigenous women are the individuals who can experience harsh and disrespectful behaviors by public referral hospitals as indigenous people are subject to discrimination by the non-indigenous physicians and nurses (Juarez et al., 2019). Government action has been taken to address the issue of maternal mortality by enacting the Social Development Act in 2001 stating that the lives of mothers and children as a public concern and also making maternal wellbeing and healthcare a national priority (Jennings, 2018). Other monumental changes have been made to decrease maternal mortality with the establishment of the Health Poverty Action organization helping indigenous women with maternal healthcare (Jennings, 2018). Efforts and a decreasing statistic of maternal mortality has been made in the realm of public health, so it is important in drastic decrease in maternal mortality. Though progress has been made in recent years, making women’s safety of any ethnic and cultural background a fair and equal priority is urgent. as maternal mortality is not even close to being completely eradicated just yet.
All in all, increased education about maternal healthcare and increased access to healthcare facilities will further decrease the maternal mortality rate in Guatemala. It will drastically reduce the risk that expecting mothers already face, especially pertaining to the heightened vulnerability of expectant women with rural and indigenous backgrounds.
Berry, N S. “Kaqchikel Midwives, Home Births, and Emergency Obstetric Referrals in Guatemala: Contextualizing the Choice to Stay at Home.” Social Science and Medicine Journal, vol. 62, no. 8, Apr. 2006, pp. 1958–1969. Science Direct, www-sciencedirect-com.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/science/article/pii/S0277953605004983.
Jennings, T. “Rising Awareness of Maternal Care for Indigenous Women in Guatemala.” BORGEN Magazine, 18 Sept. 2018,www.borgenmagazine.com/maternal-care-for-indigenous-women/.
Juarez, M, et al. “Lay Midwives: On the Front Lines of the Fight Against Maternal Mortality in Rural Guatemala.” The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, vol. 100, no. 2, 2019, pp. 237–238. http://www.ajtmh.org.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/content/journals/10.4269/ajtmh.18-0518.
“Maternal Mortality.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 16 Feb. 2018, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality.
Tzul, A M, et al. “[Maternal Mortality in Guatemala: Differences between Hospital and Non-Hospital Deaths].” Salud Publica De Mexico Journal, vol. 48, no. 3, May-Jun. 2006, pp. 183-192. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16813126.
Walsh, Linda V. “Beliefs and Rituals in Traditional Birth Attendant Practice in Guatemala.” Women’s UN Report Program & Network, Journal of Transcultural Nursing, Apr. 2006, www.wunrn.org/news/2006/07_03_06/070906_guatemala_beliefs.pdf.