Chief Medical Officer Dr. Waleska López Canú (lower right) at the leadership gathering in Bogota, Colombia.

CO-CREATING STRATEGIES FOR LATIN AMERICA

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Waleska López Canú joined fellow changemakers last month in Colombia for “When we need each other most! Amplifying Latin American leadership for a Global South movement.”

“We were called together to generate a transformative dialogue and co-create a continental roadmap for the next five years based on shared values, diverse knowledge, and a common vision for Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Dr. López Canú. “The days were filled with deep exchange, concrete proposals, shared actions, and collective dreams in motion — but also a celebration of our diversity as a source of energy, of imagining development differently, in ways that do not mean the destruction of our land, and of embracing hope as a collective strategy.” 

The gathering at the Universidad de América in Bogotá brought together 50 emerging leaders from a broad range of networks, including IMAGO Global Grassroots, Balloon Latam, Alianza Socioambiental Fondos del Sur, the Better Politics Foundation, the Obama Foundation, and APC Colombia. 

Communications and Development Manager Andrea Enríquez participated in the annual Central America Donors Forum in Guatemala City. The theme of this year’s forum, which brings together civil society, philanthropy, and government to discuss priority issues, was “Resist, Bridge & Rebuild in Times of Change.” This was the second year in a row that the forum, hosted by the Seattle International Foundation, took place in Guatemala. Guatemala’s President Bernardo Arévalo delivered the inaugural speech. Attendees shared solutions to strengthen democracy, promote sustainability, create economic opportunities, and protect civic space.

SHARING OUR WORK

We’re always looking for the chance to share what we are learning and to learn from others, and in recent months, we’ve been fortunate to have many such opportunities. 

Integrating Culture and Technology to Reduce Infant Deaths - We’re proud to share this thoughtful article investigating the challenges and barriers that contribute to high rates of newborn deaths in Maya Kaqchikel communities and how to address them. The article, published in the journal Global Health Action, notes that distance, cost, and mistrust discourage families from seeking care for sick infants. In response, Maya Health has created a program in which trained neonatal technicians and Maya midwives equipped with an app for detecting risks conduct home visits in the critical first days after birth to help support families in caring for their newborns and accessing advanced care when needed. Although successful hospital referrals are increasing, the authors note that challenges remain, including limited capacity in area hospitals and a high proportion of children born at low birth weights, which increases health risks. Congratulations to research team members Anahi Venzor Strader, Esteban Castro, Enma Coyote, Andrea Aguilar, and Peter Rohloff for this important work!

Fostering Healthy Development - Our research team (pictured below) was well represented among the presenters at the Universidad Rafael Landivar’s first International Congress on Early Childhood in Guatemala, which brought together experts from national and international organizations, students, educators, and the Guatemalan government, including Vice President Dr. Karin Herrera, to reflect on the challenges and opportunities surrounding the education, development, and comprehensive well-being of Guatemalan children.

Increasing Access to Family Planning - Susy Tambríz, Women’s Health Program Manager,  shared our approaches for making family planning education and services accessible in rural Guatemala at the seventh International Conference on Family Planning in Bogota, Colombia. Participants explored strategies for maintaining access to family planning in the rapidly shifting funding environment.

We’re grateful to The Erik E. and Edith H. Bergstrom Foundation for supporting Susy's participation!