By Vimbai Kamoyo.
HARARE, Zimbabwe. (News of The South) – It is the dream of many a woman to give birth in an up-market hospital with state of the art equipment and gynecologists in attendance. But not if one is a member of the ultra-conservative apostolic sect.
Angela Manyowa (28) from the sprawling high density location of Epworth, about 12 km from the central business district of capital Harare, and a member of an apostolic church since birth has never sought the services of a conventional medical facility even when giving birth.
She says women in their church deliver at homes or bush camps better known as zvitsidzo.
“I am originally from Buhera and my husband is from Bocha less than 70 km from my maiden home. We have been apostolic throughout our lives. We do not believe in the use of conventional medicine. I do not know the inside of the hospital but I went to school up to grade seven. The Holy Spirit takes care of all our spiritual needs. Even on maternity matters we do not visit the antenatal facilities but rely on the midwives from our church,” she says quietly.
Manyowa however, conceded that while it is the rule of their church never to visit a health facility even on maternity concerns, the practice was fraught with dangers.
“True, the act of giving birth at home or bush camps can be dangerous as there might be complications that call for people who are educated and qualified to deal with them but we believe in the power of the holy spirit to deliver without any mishaps,” she added.
However a midwife from the same location who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals from health authorities said there was absolutely nothing wrong with delivering at home or bush camps as long as midwives were knowledgeable of their work and the woman giving birth was “clean.”
“Clean” being an apostolic parlance for a woman who would have confessed all her wrong doings particularly if she had cheated on her husband.
“I see nothing wrong with us delivering in our sect because this is what has been done from way back before the advent of the white man. I am 65 years old now and have been in this business for close to 40 years and helping over 100 women to deliver and all of them safely. Our church operates within the realm of the Holy Spirit and no mishap can happen unless the woman is a cheat. It is cheap here than going to the hospital where hundreds of dollars are demanded for the simple job we do here for just a few bars of soap and a packet of sugar. Anyway how did blacks give birth before conventional medicine was introduced in this country?” she asked rhetorically.
According to 2012 National Census Report the maternal mortality ratio was 525 per 100 000 live births with experts saying the country is losing 8 women a day due to deaths caused by pregnancy complications.
Also a qualitative study on the Role of Apostolic Midwives in Mashonaland Central Province by the Organisation for Public Health Inventions and Development (Ophid) found that women in ultra conservative apostolic sects are only able to receive assistance from traditional birth attendants (TBAs) at home or in traditional birth camps, often under unhygienic conditions.
The study revealed that the Vapostori traditional birth attendants were not medically trained. The pregnant women at their birthing camps receive only spiritual guidance and faith healing when life-threatening complications occur during and or after birth.
Ophid Trust said these conservative apostolic groupings view modern health services as “heathen, devilish and secular”.
During a United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) facilitated discussion in Harare, director of Ophid, Karen Webb said while conducting their research study, they interviewed some leaders of the Johanne Masowe and Johanne Marange sects who told them that the Holy Spirit was the guiding force in faith healing.
“They believe it [Holy Spirit] reveals problems through visions and provides solutions to all problems,” she said.
The research found that the sects have devised their own health care system. For example, for abdominal scans for pregnant women, hands are used, while the Holy Spirit visions ferrets out and undoes complications.
“Treatment of problems is done with prayer and holy water. During labour there are no sterile equipment or infection control procedures that are followed,” Webb said.
However, she said it was critical to understand and incorporate these groups, especially considering that 38% of child bearing women were identified as members of apostolic churches.
“Some of these groups have developed their own healthcare systems, but little is known of these practices,” she said.
For pregnant members, traditional apostolic birth attendants (ATBAs) provide maternal healthcare and although they have not received any formal health training, they wield a lot of power and influence.
“The ATBAs are ‘appointed by the Holy Spirit’ and run birth camps which are not part of the formal health delivery system,” Webb said.
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Meanwhile, the president of the Christian Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) a powerful body that represents the interests of apostolic sects says it was imperative for church to embrace modernization and seek medical help from hospitals and clinics.
“We cannot continue to live in the past. It is therefore important for us as vapositori to embrace modern technology and medical help. I urge our members, therefore, to seek help from hospitals even when giving birth,” he said.
The Minister of health and child care David Parirenyatwa also weighed in saying it was important to seek medical health at hospitals but cautioned that the apostolic sects needed patience.
“Sure we urge members of the apostolic sects to go to hospitals even so on maternity issues but we need to be patient with them and sensitize them on the importance of doing so especially in the light of complications that can be encountered,” he said.
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