Changing Birth in The Andes: Safe Motherhood, Culture and Policy in Peru

TL;DRAbstract

The present study analyzes the Peruvian Intercultural Birthing policy, which sought to provide culturally competent care to Andean women by changing health center birth care and incorporating elements of traditional Andean home birth. The proponents and supporters of this policy, assert that it facilitates a dialog of medical traditions on equal terms, promotes respect and cultural dialog, improves quality of care, establishes good relationships with indigenous communities, and ensures better maternal and child health. Furthermore, they contend that the use of \textit{interculturalidad} as a framework for health will not only foster cultural competence but also contribute to engage indigenous communities with the state and enable the government to address longstanding inequalities in access to health and education. This study analyzes and evaluates these assertions, and seeks to understand why the policy was created, what factors influenced health providers to implement it, and what im

Chat with Paper

AI Agents for this Paper