CHOCO — Traditional midwives, known as "parteras tradicionales," serve as the first point of care for expectant mothers in many remote communities in Colombia. These midwives operate in areas like Quibdo, which is accessible only by boat or unpaved path, where medical access is limited.

In 2023, Colombia's national maternal mortality rate was 44.5 deaths per 100,000 live births. Maternal mortality rates in the departments of Chocó and Nariño exceeded 76 deaths per 100,000 births that year. Public health researcher Liany Katerine Ariza Ruiz said, "There is a higher concentration of deaths, proportionally, in rural territories. Midwives are therefore the main and most constant resource for rural communities." Ariza Ruiz also stated, "If a woman becomes ill in a remote area, transporting her by river at night, sometimes in areas with armed actors restricting mobility, becomes extremely difficult."

Traditional midwife Nohemí Manco delivered her first baby at age 14 in the municipality of Unguía, Colombia. She estimates having delivered approximately 1,200 babies in Chocó. Manco said, "I loved it. I wasn't even scared, although my sister was a little frightened." She also described the experience of delivering a baby, saying, "When a baby starts coming, it feels like sunrise. Everything is dark, and then it's dawn. When the child arrives, it's like joy and relief at the same time." Manco is a member of the Association for the Interethnic Midwives Network of Choco (ASOREDIPARCHOCÓ).

Other midwives have reported experiencing discrimination within the medical system. Yuvianis Florez reported being mocked, dismissed, and refused entry at medical establishments. Visitacion Perea, a 64-year-old traditional midwife in Yuto, Colombia, who is also a trained nurse working at a local health center, recalled her early understanding of childbirth, stating, "I thought women gave birth by vomiting babies out. You imagine all sorts of things." Perea once used native plants to help stem heavy bleeding in a woman who had lost her baby in a remote community. Lucila Caizamo coordinates nearly 230 traditional midwives across several Indigenous communities.

A survey published in May found at least 1,742 traditional midwives active in Colombia's Pacific region. Almost half of these midwives are over 60 years old, and 40 percent are illiterate. Approximately 11 percent of traditional midwives in this region are men.

Why It Matters

Traditional midwives in remote Colombian communities provide maternal healthcare where formal medical infrastructure is scarce. Maternal mortality rates in these regions are higher than the national average. These midwives continue to serve as the initial and often sole point of care for expectant mothers, utilizing traditional practices and sometimes combining them with formal medical training.