Access to healthcare is one of the most pressing issues in this area of the world, as it has the highest childhood stunting rate in the hemisphere and the Guatemalan highlands rank near the bottom of nearly all basic healthcare markers. With 60% of Guatemalans living in extreme proverty, many are not able to afford or access healthcare. Illnesses put families into years of debt especially if the main income earner of the household becomes sick.

Our medical program began in 2002 and serves rural communities where such access to healthcare is nonexistant. During these rural mobile clinics we also host health workshops offering such education as how to purify water and how to give adequate nourshiment to their children.

Along with serving rural communities multiple times a week, the Pop Wuj Clinic operates for the urban poor. Staffed by a local doctor, the clinic has developed an incredible reputation in the city and every day a line forms well before its doors open. The clinic is free to those who cannot pay, and for those who can, all income is invested back into the school's vaious projects.

We attract medical students and professionals to our school in order to learn spanish, which allows the rural communities we serve to have access to superb care. In collaboration with six non-governmental organizations, one local public hospital, the New York Presbyterian hospital, two Guatemalan government health centers, one private rural midwifery clinic, and the Pop Wuj Clinic, our program can react to and serve many different situations as they arise.

There are many costs to running the clinic. The medications, transportation to rural areas, rent, support for chronically ill patients make up its budget. Given its success, this unique model serves as one that will be mimmicked throughout the developing world.

For more information on the Pop Wuj Medical Clinic, please visit its website at www.popwujclinic.org

Friday, January 27, 2012

Nutributter; January 19

Last week, we visited our NutriButter families in Buena Vista and La Victoria - mom's who've been participating for about 6 months in the program.  As always, we both brought new vitamin and NutriButter supplies and a lesson to improve the mother's knowledge about good nutrition's positive impact on the body.  This week, we focused on the connection between malnutrition and infection, a dangerous cycle that can result in not only continual sickness, but stunted grown and poor development.  While the topic was both difficult to explain and of quite grave content, the levels of participation was higher than we'd ever seen before.  The moms were laughing, chatting, and fully engaging with the material we presented.  With this kind of positive change, we hope that with continued visits and increased comprehension sustainable change will be made for these families' food intake.