Lima, 21 November 2024 - In the framework of the project ‘Improving the Health of Women and Adolescents in Situations of Vulnerability’, implemented by PAHO and with the financial collaboration of the Government of Canada, the Regional Meeting on Maternal and Newborn Health and Indigenous Peoples was held on 19 and 20 November in Peru.
It was attended by indigenous women leaders and health representatives from the territories of the countries where the project is being implemented: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras and Peru. It also included Nicaragua and Guatemala, countries that develop activities to promote maternal-neonatal health and work with indigenous and/or Afro-descendant women, based on intercultural dialogues.
The meeting was organised by the areas of Cultural Diversity (Department of Social and Environmental Determinants for Equity in Health) and Neonatal Health (Latin American Center for Perinatology) of PAHO, with the participation of PAHO experts from the Latin American and Caribbean Centre for Health Sciences Information (BIREME) and the Department of Evidence and Intelligence for Health Action.
This event provided a space for the exchange of experiences and good practices in the approach to neonatal health with an intercultural focus. Key issues on ancestral knowledge and practices were addressed and the progress of the countries towards an articulated work path to promote this intercultural approach in the participating countries was reviewed.
With regard to the PAHO Strategy and Plan of Action on Ethnicity and Health implemented in these countries, the evolution of the indicators and the impact achieved in the intervention territories were analysed.
Development of the neonatal component of HPCS
During the workshop and in dialogue with the different leaders - including indigenous traditional midwives - the need to make tools and instruments available to midwives to promote knowledge for the health and wellbeing of indigenous populations was addressed.
In this sense, progress was made with the revision of the dimensions of the Culturally Safe Childbirth Promotion Tool (HPCS), for the adaptation and subsequent implementation of the neonatal component.
The HPCS, developed by PAHO with the participation of indigenous women, midwives and experts in maternal health, makes it possible to identify whether health services adopt an intercultural approach to pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care for indigenous women. With the incorporation of the neonatal component, this tool will be enhanced to adapt health services to more specific needs, including for the newborn.
Work plans, consensus and commitments
The different countries that participated in this meeting consolidated a work route, which they presented to PAHO to give continuity to the actions initiated for the benefit of maternal and neonatal health, from an intercultural perspective.
They also highlighted the importance of promoting the continuous exchange of knowledge through dialogue to improve the health and well-being of communities, taking into account their traditions and worldviews. The need for all countries to strengthen knowledge in neonatal health from an intercultural perspective was also raised.
On the consensus reached at this workshop, the need to systematise experiences in maternal and newborn care practices from the community was highlighted. At the same time, commitments were made to continue strengthening the dialogue of knowledge, which will enable the development and implementation of action plans aimed at maternal and child care.
PAHO will continue to contribute to the countries' efforts in these processes, seeking to reduce neonatal mortality and morbidity and promoting safe maternal and child care practices for indigenous communities, while preserving their cultural approach.
