New Roles for Traditional Birth Attendants

For millennia, babies have been bought into this world with the help of traditional birth attendants, commonly known as “TBAs”. In many countries, such as Cambodia, it has recently become illegal for traditional birth attendants to continue their age long practice. With concerns about the health of mother and baby, and a desire to reduce alarming statistics of high mortality rates, many countries have invested in installing health clinics and training mid wives in the practice of safe deliveries in sanitary environments. However, rather than retire the role of the TBA completely, ADRA recognizes that the TBA is still a highly respected member of her community.