In the remote Amazon rainforest, traditional midwives like Tabita dos Santos Moraes provide essential care as climate change-induced droughts cut off access to hospitals. Tabita, who calls herself the “umbilical mother” to over 180 babies, practices skills passed down through four generations of women in her family.
The drought crisis has transformed what was once a four-hour boat ride to the nearest hospital in Tefe, Brazil, into a treacherous journey that can take over a day—if rivers are passable at all. This isolation has made midwives increasingly critical for maternal health in a region where more than one in fifteen women already give birth outside of hospitals.
“That’s why having a midwife in the community is so important,” Tabita told Reuters. Health official Sandra Cavalcante confirmed this reality after 28 years in the region: “Wherever there is a traditional midwife, women don’t die in childbirth,” she told Reuters.
Despite their vital role, most midwives in Amazonas state live on less than minimum wage and aren’t paid by the government unless they complete formal medical training. As researcher Julio Cesar Schweickardt noted to Reuters: “When people can’t leave their communities, who else will take care of them? In these moments, midwives are important.”
The tradition faces an uncertain future as many young women choose different paths, though some, like Tabita’s 14-year-old daughter Mariene, hope to continue this essential legacy that blends spirituality, herbal knowledge, and practical skills honed over generations.
Read the original article by Pilar Olivares and Manuela Andreoni from Reuters: In the remote Amazon, midwives care for women stranded by drought
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