Idara Jerome, Uyo
Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) in Akwa Ibom State are seeking a formal referral arrangement with government hospitals and Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) to ensure that pregnant women with complications are transferred quickly for skilled medical intervention.
The President of the Association of Practicing Traditional Birth Attendants in the state, Mrs Sarah Effiong, said the proposed linkage would help address delays in accessing emergency obstetric care, particularly for women in rural communities where TBAs often serve as the first point of contact.
Effiong said this would enable TBAs to identify danger signs early and transfer women requiring specialised attention before their conditions deteriorate, rather than attempting to manage complications beyond their capacity.
She spoke ahead of a one-day summit being organised by the association to develop practical strategies for reducing maternal and newborn deaths through improved training, regulation and collaboration between traditional and orthodox healthcare providers.
The summit, themed, “Reducing Maternal Mortality Through Traditional Birth Attendance,” is scheduled to hold on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at the NBA Secretariat, Banking Avenue, Uyo.
Effiong noted that despite the expansion of formal healthcare services, many women in communities still rely on TBAs because of proximity, affordability, cultural acceptance and the trust they enjoy among families.
She therefore advocated an approach that would integrate TBAs into a broader maternal health response, stressing that their presence within communities could be leveraged to encourage pregnant women to access antenatal services and skilled delivery.
According to her, properly trained TBAs could contribute to maternal health by providing basic health education, recognising pregnancy danger signs and ensuring that women with complications are referred promptly to PHCs or higher-level hospitals.
She, however, cautioned against allowing traditional birth attendance to substitute for professional obstetric care, particularly in emergencies involving severe bleeding, hypertension, obstructed labour and other life-threatening complications.
“The central issue should not simply be whether a woman visits a TBA or a hospital. What matters is whether she receives timely, safe and appropriate care throughout pregnancy, delivery and the postnatal period,” she said.
The association’s president called for regular training and retraining of TBAs, proper registration and monitoring of practitioners, standard referral protocols and stronger communication channels between TBAs and health facilities.
She also appealed to the government to strengthen PHCs with adequate personnel, essential medicines, emergency obstetric services and transportation facilities, arguing that a referral system would be ineffective if receiving facilities lacked the capacity to respond to emergencies.
Effiong further urged women’s organisations, churches, traditional institutions, civil society organisations and community leaders to participate actively in maternal health campaigns and help tackle cultural and economic factors that discourage women from seeking professional care.
She said the summit would bring together government officials, healthcare professionals, development partners, NGOs, women’s groups, faith-based organisations and community leaders to develop practical interventions capable of reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
The Commissioner for Health is expected to deliver the keynote address, while Professor Sam Akpan of Ibom Integrated Neutral Medicine, Uyo, will serve as guest lecturer. Prof. S.B. Udoh, Chief Medical Director of FullCare Hospital Ltd., Uyo, is expected to chair the occasion.
Effiong said the association’s broader objective was to establish a functional chain of care connecting communities, TBAs, PHCs and secondary and tertiary hospitals through an efficient emergency referral mechanism.
“Saving the mother is saving the family; saving the family is strengthening the community,” she said, insisting that no woman should die simply because appropriate medical care was inaccessible or reached her too late.
