Senate Launches Digital Channel to Support Traditional Midwifery

The Mexican Senate has launched “Tejiendo Canales de Saberes,” the first digital initiative aimed at strengthening traditional midwifery by using WhatsApp to distribute maternal and neonatal health information in five indigenous languages.

The program, presented by Senator Edith López, President, Commission of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican Peoples, recognizes traditional midwives as community health agents and seeks to address language barriers in maternal care. “Indigenous women often turn to midwives first because they speak the same language and can communicate without the barriers they face in the health sector,” says López. 

The program operates through a WhatsApp-based distribution system called “Canal de Saberes,” customized according to regional language and location. Educational content, validated by institutions such as the General Health Council, is selected and translated into Náhuatl, Maya, Tzotzil, Tzeltal, and Amuzgo. These five languages account for about half of Mexico’s indigenous language-speaking population.

Once translated, the information is recorded either as a voice note by a trained translator or as a video. The content is then distributed through dedicated WhatsApp channels that midwives across the country can access and share within their communities.

The goal is to disseminate practical medical information, particularly related to national health protocols, including guidance for the first 1,000 days of life and documents focused on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. Organizers say this model facilitates knowledge transfer among midwives, who serve as trusted figures in remote and vulnerable communities.

According to program data, over 20,000 midwives are active in Mexico, providing prenatal and postpartum care to women and their families, especially in rural or marginalized areas.

The initiative was introduced in the context of the Year of Indigenous Women 2025, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, and World Breastfeeding Week. It is supported by multiple institutions, including the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), the General Health Council, the UK Embassy in Mexico, the United Nations Population Fund, Fundación México Vivo, and the National Chamber of the Dairy Industry.