Project profile — Reducing Gaps for Indigenous Peoples of Guatemala

• Canada (0.67%)
• Guatemala (99.33%)

• Basic Health: Basic nutrition (12240) (19.39%)
• Reproductive health care:
Reproductive health care (13020) (42.24%)
Personnel development for population and reproductive health (13081) (35.38%)
• Unallocated/ Unspecified: Promotion of development awareness (99820) (2.99%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (significant objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (significant objective)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)
• Indigenous Issues (significant objective)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

The project aims to contribute to the reduction of maternal and child mortality, and improve maternal, newborn and child health in Guatemala’s predominantly indigenous department of Totonicapán. Project activities include: (1) training traditional indigenous midwives on updated maternal and child health practices; (2) facilitating discussions to promote inter-culturally effective health care and transparency between health authorities and community leadership; (3) conducting learning exchanges among maternal and child health leaders and providers in Guatemala and Canada, and (4) training of traditional midwives and auxiliary nurses in family planning methods and provision of family-planning counseling to both women and men. This project is expected to directly contribute to the improved health of approximately 240,000 people in Totonicapán, including 140,000 indigenous women, 37,000 boys and 39,000 girls. In addition, more than 250,000 people are expected to benefit indirectly from the results of the project. Horizons of Friendship is implementing the project in collaboration with the Asociación para la Promoción, Investigación y Educación en Salud en el Occidente de Guatemala (PIES).

The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: (1) improved delivery of essential health services to mothers, pregnant women, newborns and children under five; (2) improved utilisation of essential health services by mothers, pregnant women, newborns and children under five; and (3) increased understanding and technical cooperation between Canada and Guatemala for improving maternal, newborn and child health.

Results achieved as of March 2020 include: (1) 11,509 births have been attended by skilled health personnel; (2) 20,889 women have received antenatal care at least four times during pregnancy representing an increase of 37% since the beginning of the project; (3) 34 traditional Indigenous midwives have been trained as trainers in upgraded maternal and child health practices; (4) 904 traditional Indigenous midwives have been trained to deliver ancestral and updated maternal and child health practices; (5) 102,884 women and 4,473 men were reached on favourable maternal, newborn and child health practices through 551 focus group discussions, an additional 25,292 women were reached through home visits providing personalized counselling in nutrition and maternal care; and (6) 3,989 traditional community leaders have increased their knowledge of maternal, newborn, and child health. These results are contributing to improved delivery and utilization of essential health services for mothers, pregnant women, newborns and children under the age of five.

• Proactive disclosure