Quantitative Assessment of The Perception and The Roles of Traditional Birth Attendants on Maternal Health Care among Women of Reproductive Age in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria

The fifth development goals (NDGs) aims at improving maternal health with the target of reducing maternal mortality ratio (MMR) by 75% between 1990 and 2015, but much has not been achieved in this area from then to the present time. It is in the light of the above that this study quantitatively assessed the perception and roles of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) on maternal health among women of reproductive age in Ifedore local government area in ondo state. The study relied on the health belief theoretical model to explain the social and psychological health behaviour of women of reproductive age with respect to patronage and knowledge of the TBAs. A descriptive cross –sectional study design was used for the investigation. The sample consists of three hundred and seventy-nine (379) respondents comprising 242 women of reproductive age, 100 traditional birth attendants, 20 medical and paramedical personnel randomly selected from local communities within Ifedore local government using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected through structured questionnaire and the results were analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that majority of the respondents have good perception of the roles of the TBAs in that area and that child-bearing women patronized them because they are cheaper than government’s hospitals services and closer to them than government-owned health facilities. The study concluded that the TBAs play vital roles in maternity health care delivery among women of reproductive age in Ifedore local government area. It is,therefore, recommended that the government should as a matter of necessity foster partnership with a view of improving their skills to meet the global best practices. Also, health care services should be made affordable in public health institutions to encourage patronage by the rural and semi-urban dwellers.