Role of Traditional Birth Attendants in Preventing HIV Transmission in Nigeria

Abstract Background: Nigeria is a country with the largest number of pediatric HIV infections in the world. Scholars who study mother-to-child HIV transmission in Nigeria have concluded that Nigeria’s failure to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission can be explained in whole or in part by the fact that many Nigerian women use traditional birth attendants for their prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care which may not include prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission services. The study explored qualitatively the role(s), expectations, and future training needs of Nigerian traditional birth attendants in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) Methods: We recruited and interviewed a convenience sample of 30 traditional birth attendants and 30 mothers from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Interviews were conducted in English and Ibibio (the local language) at a comfortable and neutral location and recorded with an audio device. The audio data was transcribed verbatim and subjected to qualitative content analysis. Results: Traditional Birth Attendants play vital roles in maternal and child health and provide antenatal, delivery, and post-natal care to a relatively large number of women. Although traditional birth attendants have limited knowledge and skills to prevent HIV infection, they seem to have the potentials for promoting women’s use of PMTCT because some of them were able to provide HIV counselling and testing, linkage and treatment of HIV positive mothers, initiation of ART for HIV exposed infant, delivery, and infant care practices in the context of HIV prevention. Conclusion: Adequate training, supervision, and support, task shifting of basic PMTCT services to TBAs may be useful in the fight against pediatirc HIV infection and will cushion the effect of health care provider shortages. Therefore, formal training, certification, and integration of traditional birth attendants into the health care system should be considered.