Country Overview

Located in Central America, Guatemala is a country of striking features and a strong indigenous culture. It is mountainous, forested and dotted with Mayan ruins, lakes, volcanoes and orchids, making tourism the main economic driver in Guatemala.

Challenges

Guatemala ranks as the largest country and economy in Central America, yet more than half the population lives in poverty. Social and political factors have created deep economic imbalances, particularly among the rural indigenous Mayan peoples. These conditions have led to a number of serious issues in maternal and child health:

• High levels of maternal and infant mortality
• Poor nutrition in pregnant and nursing mothers
• Chronic malnutrition and stunting of children
• Lack of stimulation and brain development

In other words, children in rural Guatemala have a lower chance of surviving childbirth, and a higher likelihood of having physical and mental health challenges that keep them from learning and developing properly.

Many of the children who do survive childbirth grow up without education and never thrive in life.