The study about paraji (Traditional Birth Attendants - TBA) and bidan (Community Midwives -CMW) in Rancaekek, a subdistrict in West Java, Indonesia, aimed to contribute to the knowledge and... Show moreThe study about paraji (Traditional Birth Attendants - TBA) and bidan (Community Midwives -CMW) in Rancaekek, a subdistrict in West Java, Indonesia, aimed to contribute to the knowledge and understanding about the relationships between traditional and modern Maternal and Child Health (MCH) systems. This study analyses how existing MCH systems function in a community where two different types of health care are accessible. To this end, the behaviours of pregnant and perinatal women are studied to learn how they utilize the MCH services in their community. The research method of the study is using qualitative and quantitative approaches complementarily, and also implementing the Leiden Ethnosystems Approach. The result of the study is: that the role of paraji as well as bidan in the community should be valed equal in MCH care. The recommendation is: that current MCH practices undergo revision to a certain extent to create an integrated and partnerships among paraji and bidan to generate alternantive strategies for development of MCH care, from the bottom up through community participation. Show less
