Kenya: Do Safer Births Require a Break With Tradition?

"I use a razor, scissors and thread," says traditional midwife Peris Machanja, describing part of her work in delivering a baby. "Sometimes I use gloves, which I disinfect to use for another job – that is, if they are not torn. If they are, I try to get new ones.” Fifty-five year old Machanja, who lives in the low-income area of Kayole on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, assists with about five births a month, although this figure can double during busy periods. Her fee for doing so is about 6.5 dollars. But, if Kenya is to reach the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of reducing maternal mortality by three quarters in the next decade, officials may have to call a halt to the work of this traditional birth attendant.