Traditional Birth Attendant Arrested Following Maternal Death of Mother of Three

Butaleja District | THE BLACK EXAMINER | A 61-year-old traditional birth attendant in Mbale District, eastern Uganda, has been arrested by the police following the death of a 27-year-old woman, Brenda Namakoye, who sought her services during labor. Namakoye, a mother of three from Nasenyi village in Butaleja District, died due to excessive bleeding after delivering a baby at Ms. Florence Kakai’s home in Luyekhe village in Mbale District.

According to Mr. Rogers Taitika, the Elgon Regional Police Spokesperson, Namakoye was taken to Kakai’s home by her husband when she experienced labor pains. Despite delivering a baby boy successfully, she started bleeding profusely shortly after. Preliminary investigations reveal that when her condition worsened, she was put on a motorcycle to be taken to a nearby health center but died on the way.

The police have arrested the traditional birth attendant, and charges of rash and negligent acts causing death have been preferred against her. Mr. Taitika emphasized the importance of seeking medical help from professionals for better management, advising against relying solely on traditional birth attendants.

Namakoye’s death sheds light on the challenges faced by expectant mothers in rural areas, where many still turn to traditional birth attendants due to poverty or lack of access to health centers.

This incident follows a similar case in August, where another woman, Isabel Khamiyat, 22, and a mother of two, died with her baby in the hands of traditional birth attendants in Pallisa district. The government outlawed traditional birth attendants in 2010, citing their inability to handle complications like hemorrhaging, which contributes to maternal deaths.

According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) key indicators report for the sixth Demographic and Health Survey 2016, up to 336 mothers die per 100,000 live births, indicating a decline from 2011 but still a concerning number.