Maternal healthcare for pastoralist women in Sudan

The rate of maternal mortality among pastoralists in Sudan is very high. The study “Factors influencing the utilization of maternal health care services by nomads in Sudan” (2015, 12pp) by Babker El Shiekh and Anke van der Kwaak (published in Pastoralism: Research, Policy and Practice (2015) 5:23; DOI 10.1186/s13570-015-0041-x) identified factors affecting Sudanese pastoralist women’s use of maternal healthcare services. The mobile lifestyle of the livestock-keeping communities, their low level of formal education, gender norms, beliefs, values and geographical location influence the pastoralists’ health practices. Existing healthcare services are ill-adapted to their mobile lifestyle. The study highlights some best practices from other countries that can be applied in the Sudanese pastoral context, such as community health workers, training and support for traditional birth attendants, provision of joint mobile health services for humans and livestock (“One Health”) and setting up maternity or birth-waiting homes.

Posted on 11 June 2018 in Pastoralism & Services, Pastoralism, Gender & Youth