Nurturing Traditional Midwifery and Medicine: The Entangled Path of Health Integration in Post-Independence Kilombero, Tanzania

This paper focuses on the Tanzanian government’s ambitious endeavour to enhance health,particularly midwifery services following independence. The initial strategy by thegovernment involved promoting Western medicine by establishing healthcare facilities andtraining medical personnel. However, the strain of a burgeoning population and limitedresources soon became evident, prompting the government to recognise the need for theincorporation of traditional medicine, previously overlooked. This integration posed itsown set of obstacles, as the focus on herbal remedies overshadowed crucial aspects ofconventional midwifery, such as rituals. While research has shown the resolve of thegovernment towards medical integration between different players, this paper shows thatincorporating other actors such as voluntary agencies and traditional health workersproved a formidable task for the post-independent government. Using examples fromKilombero District, this paper examines the complexities and setbacks of governmentplanning in this context, highlighting how the intended path to improvement tookunexpected turns, failures, and detours, leading to a re-evaluation of strategies andpriorities on the part of the government, while the people embraced a hybrid of medicaltherapies.