The traditional midwife in Saudian villages

To identify the role of the midwife in rural Saudi Arabia, a house to house survey was conducted in 10 randomly selected communities in Riyadh district. The study showed that the midwife's role in a village is particularly significant in protecting the health of the poor and less educated mother. If effective coverage of ante-natal, delivery and post-natal services is to be achieved then it is suggested that a greater emphasis should be placed upon training the midwives.