Maternal and Child Health
This project aims at improving maternal and child health. It is hoped to secure funds in 2011-12. The main objective is for mothers to have real choice and better care through fairer interaction with conventional health services, bringing about more indigenous people-friendly arrangements. Self-help collective action is seen as an innovative way forward through Mothers’ and Traditional Midwifes Associations, for better, safer mother and child options whether at home in remote villages or in health facilities.
The idea for the project, as well as the need for it, arose from anthropological research on birth conducted by Brigitte Nikles. Findings revealed that 90% of the parturients give birth at home as health facilities are usually too far away; too expensive or unfriendly. Traditional midwifes, though highly regarded in their communities, are not recognized by authorities. They are therefore denied access to training and knowledge, such as to recognize complications, and so maternal/child mortalities are far above national rates of 540/100,000 and 91/1,000 respectively. Cambodia is already falling well short of respective MDGs, with Mondulkiri and Rattanakiri also with high indigenous populations, the worst in the country and with the highest fertility rates. These indicators could yet worsen due to loss of livelihoods and sources of nutrition as communities are deprived of traditional living and access to forestry, natural resources, and land for farming.
Brigitte’s research findings can be accessed through the Nomad Research Unit publication list and are shown in a film about Bunong Birth practices that she released in 2010 together with Swiss anthropologist Tommi Mendel.