|
POPULATION: 13,276,517
ACTIVE IN: Department of Huehuetenango
PROGRAMS: Maternal & Child Health, Holistic Development
A CAUSE FOR CONCERN
Guatemalan mothers and children face some of the worst health challenges in the world. In remote, isolated regions, the majority of women still give birth at home with little or no access to hospitals or other clinical health services. Additionally, Guatemala reports the highest infant mortality rates in Latin America, recorded at 39 per 1,000 live births, and nearly 80% of deaths of children under 5 years of age are recorded among the poorest 20% of the population.
CASA MATERNA IS REACHING 8,000 WOMEN EACH YEAR WITH OBSTETRIC SERVICES, CRITICAL CARE SERVICES FOR MATERNITY PATIENTS, FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES, CHILD NUTRITION CLASSES, AND SANITATION TRAININGS. | OVERVIEW
Project Concern International (PCI) began working in Guatemala in 1974, bringing basic health care to Mayan communities around Lake Atitlan. Throughout the 1980s, during the civil war that ravaged Guatemala, PCI trained an extensive network of volunteers and local leaders to deliver health services to families in need. Building on three decades of experience, PCI/Guatemala continues to work with rural communities to improve the lives of vulnerable populations, with a focus on women of reproductive age and children.
Specifically, in 2000, in partnership with a local association of midwives, PCI/Guatemala established the Casa Materna (Mother’s House), an integrated reproductive and maternal health program aimed at reducing maternal and infant morbidity and mortality in the western and central highlands of the country. PCI has also successfully implemented numerous projects in the country designed to increase commercialization opportunities, diversify agricultural practices and improve the health and nutritional status of vulnerable communities.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH
In remote, isolated regions of Guatemala, women in indigenous communities have little or no access to hospitals or other clinical health services. In rural areas, the 80% or more of births still take place inside the home with only the assistance of traditional birth attendants, who rarely have access to necessary birthing equipment or training that enables them to recognize signs of high-risk pregnancies.
In response, PCI, in partnership with a local association of midwives, established the Casa Materna (Mother’s House) clinic and outreach and education program in 2000, in the rural Department of Hueheutenango. Casa Materna provides integrated reproductive and maternal and child health care, outreach, and education services, including outpatient clinical services, a pediatric clinic and a 20-bed inpatient facility for women with high-risk pregnancies. Expectant mothers receive medical care and are able to rest until they deliver their babies at the government hospital, which is located next to the Casa Materna facility. In addition, women and their families can access family planning services, child nutrition classes, and trainings on proper hygiene and sanitation practices.
PCI is also expanding and strengthening post-natal and post-partum care interventions at both facility and community levels and training hundreds of community health workers, including traditional birth attendants, each year, to identify women with high-risk pregnancies and refer them to the Casa Materna for care, monitoring, and safe delivery.
Download PCI/Guatemala Country Fact Sheet (PDF)
|
