Challenges for implementing culturally competent obstetric services in an Indigenous context in Mexico

Abstract

Obstetric healthcare for Indigenous women remains a severe problem in low-income countries with great cultural diversity and a colonial past. The work of health professionals to prevent complications leading to maternal deaths is paramount, yet in these contexts, they face significant challenges in implementing culturally competent services. This paper aims to present findings from an ethnographic study that attempted to document the experience of health professionals providing obstetric services in order to show the complex sociocultural contexts in which they perform their work.