Abstract:
Background: Skilled birth attendance, a proven way of reducing maternal and perinatal
mortality has remained low in low resource settings. Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) have
continued to be culturally and socially accepted in many societies despite their limitation in
handling childbirth complications. The study objective was to assess the perception of traditional
birth attendants (TBAs) by the men and women of reproductive age in rural Migori.
Methodology: This was a qualitative study carried out in four villages in Migori County, Nyanza
region which involved married women of child bearing age and married men. Separate focus
group discussions (FGDs) were done for men and women, where one FGD was conducted per
group in each village. Content analysis was done after coding and categorizing data into thematic
areas.
Results: The findings indicated varied perceptions of men and women about the TBAs. Themen
appreciated the services of TBAs mainly because of financial reasons while women enjoyed their
friendly attitude and welfare services. The community was well aware of the risks of deliveringwith a TBA, however, they still opted for their services for reasons such as availability,
accessibility and their friendly attitude.
Conclusion: The men and women of reproductive had varied perceptions, both positive and
negative about the traditional birth attendants. The TBAs still have a role to play in the
community.
