Yucatán government recognizes Maya traditional midwifery as living heritage

More than 150 traditional midwives from Yucatán, Campeche and Quintana Roo gathered for the Peninsula Meeting on Ancestral Maya Midwifery, a dialogue between health authorities and community guardians of this cultural practice.

Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena was represented by Yucatán Health Secretary Miguel Alberto Alcocer Gamboa, who inaugurated the event and highlighted the state’s policy to honor ancestral knowledge and integrate it with scientific medicine. The meeting announced the State Midwifery Committee, a formal platform for coordination between traditional midwives and the public health system, and introduced the El Vía Carrillo Puerto Card, a direct support scheme for midwives serving their communities.

Officials noted that from 2020 to 2026 Yucatán recorded no maternal deaths in births attended by traditional midwives, and there are now about 327 registered midwives who provide low‑risk prenatal care and timely referrals for obstetric emergencies. The Secretariat of Health said it will continue to align the collaboration with the national NOM‑020 standard to ensure dignified, safe, and culturally appropriate maternal and neonatal care.