At commemoration of World Indigenous Peoples Day: IPSD-Cameroon urges midwives to pass on indigenous midwifery knowledge.

 The event in Bantoum I village was organised by the not-for-profit organisation, Indigenous Peoples and Sustainable Development Association, IPSD-Cameroon, with support from the GEF Small Grants Programme. 

The 2026 edition of the day was placed under the theme: “Honouring indigenous midwives: Safeguarding life and wellbeing”. 

Speaking during the event, the IPSD-Cameroon President, Buba Balkisou, said indigenous midwives play an essential role as knowledge holders and guardians of wellbeing. 

While highlighting the challenges they face in maintaining and transmitting their knowledge, Buba stressed the need to raise awareness on indigenous midwifery as a living indigenous knowledge system.

“They have holistic care when it comes to midwifery, in terms food or self-care. After birth, the child is washed with a mixture of herbs for months to ensure good health, growth and development. The woman is also taken care of in a special way to ensure she is healthy as well as the child,” the IPSD president said. 

During discussions that unfolded, Mbororo women shared indigenous knowledge around birth attendance, pre-natal, post-natal and neonatal care. 

They equally shared experiences around nutrition during pregnancy and after childbirth. 

“It was a great experience sharing between the elderly women and the young girls who were happy to learn some aspects of indigenous knowledge around midwifery. The knowledge holders were encouraged to continue sharing this knowledge with the young girls to ensure continuity,” Buba said.  

Stating that many indigenous communities are geographically isolated, making it difficult for indigenous peoples in general and pregnant women in particular to access health facilities, she said the role of the indigenous midwives is crucial.

The IPSD president also seized the opportunity to sensitise the women on their rights according to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Convention 169 of the International Labour Organisation. 

Meanwhile, challenges facing the Mbororo community in Batoum I village, such as absence of basic social amenities like hospital, stigmatisation, discrimination, and losing of some aspects of traditional knowledge due to the fact that young girls are not interested in Indigenous Knowledge especially on midwifery, were highlighted. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3883 of Wednesday August 19, 2026