Maya Health Alliance is creating incredible impact in Guatemala. For example, their chronic malnutrition program treats 2000 children a year and has had unprecedented results. At a community level, they have repeatedly shown that it is possible to reduce rates of chronic malnutrition by 20-40% within 2-3 years. More importantly, they can show that these reductions in malnutrition correlate with large improvements in cognitive outcomes. These programs yield lifelong benefits, enhancing cognition, success in school, and future earnings potential.
In 2019 in Women's Health they screened 1500 women for cervical cancer and provided further testing and treatment for 45 women with abnormal results. Ten women underwent treatment for cancerous results and are now cancer-free. In the fight to reduce maternal mortality, Maya Health increased the detection of preeclampsia by more than six-fold the rate reported in the public hospital system, with successful hospital referrals saving both mother and babies lives.
Since 2007, we have had over 100,000 direct beneficiaries and over 50 peer-reviewed publications. Our impact in 2019: 20,000+ patients served, 10,000+ home visits, nutrition monitoring & care for 2,275 children under five, education & care for 160+ people with diabetes, in-home education for 500 diabetics, reproductive health care access for 5,000 women, 1,500 cervical cancer screenings, 5,000+ staff training hours and 438 health workers trained, 12 peer-reviewed publications.
In 2019, our midwives attended to over 800 prenatal patients and births with smartphones and 49 were cases with serious complications before and after birth. All of the mothers and children survived, reflecting substantial improvement over typical maternal and infant mortality rates in the region. We had zero maternal deaths in our cohort.