| There is no doubt that midwives worldwide
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| | midwives give to the impersonal care of
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| are very special people. They possess a
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| | the local hospital; "The midwife offers
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| unique ability to care for women and
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| | love and trust and confidence and she
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| newborns and it takes a distinctive set
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| | doesn't do it mechanically like the
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| of skills to qualify for the job. More
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| | nurses and doctors. However, I don't mean
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| than 60% of the world's babies are helped
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| | to offend these health care workers, who
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| into the world with the hands of a
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| | do the best job they can. For example, a
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| midwife or traditional birth attendant.
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| | woman goes to have her baby in a
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| In Central America, midwives are
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| | hospital. In the room she will find a
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| generally referred to as "traditional
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| | nurse, a person who cleans and another
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| midwives".
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| | woman in the next bed to her. The doctor
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| Central American traditional midwives are
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| | arrives and says "let's see lady, open
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| usually well known and respected in their
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| | your legs", and the woman feels ashamed.
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| community. Many traditional midwives say
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| | On the other hand if a midwife attends
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| they felt a calling to be a midwife and
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| | this woman in the privacy of her own
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| learned their skills through
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| | home, the woman experiences trust."
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| apprenticeship and experience rather than
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| | Doña Alicia went on to say that she
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| formal training.
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| | didn't want to offend the doctors because
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| But Central American midwives have a
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| | they do offer good care when they are
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| tougher job on their hands than their
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| | needed. But that they do not possess the
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| counterparts in wealthier countries. In
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| | kindness of a midwife, and often lack the
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| countries such as Guatemala, Honduras,
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| | patience the midwife has.
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| Costa Rica, Nicaragua and El Salvador
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| | Josefa Mira, a midwife from El Salvador,
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| midwives can often be found working under
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| | explained that the midwives are
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| appalling conditions, depending on how
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| | constantly monitoring the progress of the
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| unstable their country's health system
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| | labour and when a complication presents
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| is, and the majority of these women do
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| | itself they organize immediate transfer
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| not get paid for their hard work.
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| | to a hospital. "And we don't only care
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| PAHO (Pan American Health Organization)
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| | for women of the community during
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| estimates that there are about 22,000
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| | pregnancy and birth", she said. "We also
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| maternal deaths per year in Latin America
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| | look after the general health of women
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| and the Caribbean with an aggregate ratio
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| | and their families, domestic violence and
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| of 190 deaths per 100,000 births. PAHO
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| | all the illnesses that are common in our
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| also estimates that under-reporting in
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| | communities."
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| many regions can be as high as 70%.
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| | However, lack of transport is a major
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| In Central America, traditional midwives
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| | problem in most areas and women in
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| attend most of the deliveries where the
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| | high-risk conditions often cannot be
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| maternal mortality is the highest due to
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| | moved to a hospital for medical help due
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| poverty. The contribution of traditional
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| | to this dilemma. The same problem exists
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| midwives to the health of nations has
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| | if there are not enough basic medicines
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| been undervalued by governments and
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| | to treat disease in pregnancy.
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| insufficient resources have been
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| | The Central American Midwives plea is to
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| allocated to providing midwives with the
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| | be recognized and accepted for the value
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| equipment, training and medicines that
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| | of their knowledge, to work as a team
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| they need to carry out their job safely
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| | with health care services, to be
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| and effectively.
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| | adequately trained and equipped, and
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| In April 2004, a group of midwives from
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| | rightfully compensated. This issue needs
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| these five countries took a
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| | to be recognised as an important,
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| ground-breaking step by coming together
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| | pressing matter.
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| in Costa Rica to share their experiences
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| | Let us help those who bear the hands that
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| as midwives in their respective
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| | hold our future generations. Let us help
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| countries. Their tales reflect their love
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| | the Central American Midwife Crisis.
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| and devotion to their work, and their
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| | Guatemalan midwife María Cecilia says;
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| ongoing commitment to the many women they
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| | "What I would like most for our country
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| have helped through childbirth.
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| | Guatemala is health for everyone, that
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| They tell their stories of how unjust
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| | having a baby would become safer, that we
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| their health systems are and share
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| | would have safe and healthy childbirth,
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| harrowing accounts of health care systems
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| | and that society would give importance to
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| which fail its people.
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| | mothers and the work of mothers. When we
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| Central American Midwives, the charitable
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| | are expecting our babies we should feel
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| organization that funded this assembly,
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| | cared for and receive love. And the other
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| produced a DVD depicting these women's
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| | thing I wish for is that one day midwives
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| stories. In the documentary, one of the
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| | would really be part of the health care
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| Nicaraguan midwives, Doña Alicia,
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| | system and have a salary that we can
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| compares the care the traditional
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| | enjoy.
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