Guatemala

Making the Post-MDG Global Health Goals Relevant for Highly Inequitable Societies: Findings From A Consultation with Marginalized Populations in Guatemala

Achieving health goals in a context of deep-rooted inequality and marginalization requires going beyond the simple expansion of health services and working with developing trusting relationships between health service providers and community members. Involving community members in decision-making processes that shape policies will contribute to a
larger process of community empowerment and democratization. [from abstract]

Fact Sheet: Las conductas de riesgo para hombres indígenas que residen en las zonas de alto y bajo reporte de casos de VIH

This fact sheet was developed by teams of Guatemalan public health professionals who participated long-term capacity building process to promote secondary analysis of the National Maternal and Child Health Survey 2008-2009 (Encuesta Nacional de Salud Materno Infantil – ENSMI 2008-2009) [from abstract]

Using Verbal Autopsy to Ascertain Perinatal Cause of Death: Are Trained Non-Physicians Adequate?

This initiative’s objective was to develop a standardized verbal autopsy training program and evaluate whether its implementation resulted in comparable knowledge required to classify perinatal cause of death by physicians and non-physicians. [from abstract]

Acceptance of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist among Surgical Personnel in Hospitals in Guatemala City

This study attempted to determining personnel’s acceptance of the surgical safety checklist, which reflects their intention to use the checklist, as well as their awareness and knowledge of the checklist which assesses the effectiveness of the training process. [adapted from abstract]

My Motivations: a Day in the Life as a Health Worker in Xachmochan

This 2:56 minute video is part of the Good Goes campaign and showcases the work of Felix Aguilar Ramirez, a community health worker in the Xachmochan village in Guatemala.

How Can Faith-Based Organizations Help Address the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Central America?

This research brief outlines a study done Belize, Honduras and Guatemala on the current and potential future role of faith-based organizations in HIV prevention and care. [adapted from author]

Role of Faith-Based Organziations in HIV Prevention and Care in Central America

This report summarizes the findings of an exploratory, qualitative study of FBO involvement in HIV/AIDS in three Central American countries hard hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic: Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. It provides an overview of the epidemics in each country studied and the range of HIV prevention and care activities conducted by FBOs. Further, it discusses the facilitators of these activities, as well as the challenges to FBO involvement in HIV prevention and care. [from preface]

Stigma and Discrimination in HIV Counseling and Testing Services in the Private Health Sector in Guatemala: A Qualitative Study

This document discusses the outcomes of a qualitative study to describe the knowledge and practices of private clinic and laboratory service providers regarding HIV and HIV counseling and testing.

The study also identifies the characteristics of the stigma that private service providers place on female sex workers, men who have sex with men, people living with HIV/AIDS and describes the experiences of these groups regarding private counseling and testing services. [adapted from executive summary]

Perceptions of Short-Term Medical Volunteer Work: a Qualitative Study in Guatemala

The issue of participation by medical providers from wealthy countries in short-term medical volunteer work in resource-poor countries has been reaised as being potentially harmful to recipient communities. This exploratory study examines the perception of short-term medical volunteer work in Guatemala from the perspective of members of recipient communities affected by or participating in these programs. [adapted from sbstract]

AWARENESS Project Design, Implementation and Evaluation of a Distance Learning Course for Training in the Standard Days Method

This report summarizes key results of the evaluation of a distance learning course in the Standard Days Method. This course responds to a growing demand for low-cost options to training for family planning service providers. This option was considered as a potentially useful alternative to traditional class-room training, which can be both costly and time-consuming. [adapted from abstract]

Cost Effectiveness of Standard Days Method Refresher Trainings Using the Knowledge Improvement Tool in Guatemala

The Knowledge Improvement Tool (KIT) was created to allow family planning supervisors to quickly identify gaps in knowledge of Standard Days Method (SDM) providers, allowing them to provide targeted, effective support during routine supervisory visits. This study was designed to compare the effectiveness and the cost benefit of KIT to other methods of reinforcing SDM provider knowledge. [adapted from author]

Cuba and Guatemala: Innovations in Physician Training

This article describes the experience of Guatemalan students at Cuba’s Latin American Medical School. The students’ education emphasizes health problems and diseases characterizing the epidemiological situation in their home country and in-depth courses in disaster management, as well as clinical experience in Guatemala. [adapted from author]

Guatemala, Pro Redes Salud: Rapid Scale-Up of Primary Health Care Through NGOs

Before the project began, 300,000 remote rural inhabitants in the Mayan highlands lacked basic primary care, the NGO civil society in health lacked cohesion, and the MOH NGO granting program needed revising. From 2000 to 2004, the NGO Networks Project implemented a grants program that helped form networks of NGOs, strengthening health services and testing innovations in service delivery, and improved monitoring and evaluation.

Training Traditional Birth Attendants in Guatemala

Many women choose to use traditional birth attendants in Guatemala to deliver their babies - a fact that can’t be ignored, according to local public-health officials. They hope a new culturally sensitive approach to training traditional birth attendants will help improve their quality of care and save lives. [adapted from author]

Intersection of Gender, Access and Quality of Care in Reproductive Services: Examples from Kenya, India and Guatemala

This paper describes the experiences of three types of programs (government, reproductive health NGO, and women’s health NGO) in Kenya, India, and Guatemala that integrate gender in their work and examines how they integrate gender into programs that improve quality of care and access to care. It should be emphasized that this report does not document whether gender integration results in higher quality and access, but rather documents how gender integration can take place. [author’s description]