Belize

In Belize, Maya women who give birth with traditional birth attendants instead of hospitals face barriers to registering their children. Belize has not integrated Maya traditional birth attendants into the national health system, nor does it recognize and train Maya traditional birth attendants. Many Maya women live in rural areas without access to formal healthcare, and have difficulty traveling to access it when pregnant and postpartum. Most birth registration in Belize takes place in hospitals, and any births that are attended by trained midwives must be reported within 3 days. Without training Maya traditional birth attendants, integrating them into official healthcare systems, or ensuring Maya women’s access to formal healthcare, maternal mortality rates and barriers to birth registration remain high.