Learning from India's traditional birth attendants, the dais
Arrows for change 5(3): 3
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 1394-4444 PMID: 12296266 Document Number: 425903
In India, Matrika (Motherhood and Traditional Resources, Information, Knowledge and Action) was established to learn from traditional birth attendants or dais, document their indigenous knowledge and assemble a database of therapies from alternative medical systems. The organization is committed to motivating health policy makers to include the participation of dais in all government reproductive health initiatives as knowledgeable resource people. Extensive research was conducted in the villages to gather gender and caste-sensitive information about the knowledge and practice of dais. The findings revealed that dais have indigenous knowledge of herbs, diet, and massage techniques to ease the pains of pregnancy and delivery. Such knowledge was found to be a combination of several factors: empirical observation, extensive experience, intuition and emphatic understanding. Matrika stresses that in India, culturally appropriate, affordable and gender-sensitive perspectives can only be implemented when health care providers and trainers have an appreciation of existing local health knowledge and practice.