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Image courtesy of Google.org and Bryan Watt

Dear Friends,

I’m thrilled to share this week’s announcement that Maya Health and partner safe+natal received a $1.8 million award from Google.org to support our work with midwives preventing complications and deaths during pregnancy and birth in rural Guatemala. We were one of 15 organizations selected in Google.org’s AI for the Global Goals Impact Challenge, which was created to help accelerate progress towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including Good Health and Well-being and Reduced Inequalities.

Maya Health and safe+natal are working with indigenous midwives to develop a toolkit that uses machine learning to help detect complications in real time. The toolkit—a low-cost ultrasound and blood pressure monitor connected to a smartphone—will eliminate preventable maternal and infant deaths and complications by enabling midwives to identify potential risks earlier in pregnancy so that mothers and babies can get the help they need when they need it. We are so grateful for this opportunity to advance access to more timely, high-quality maternal care in the indigenous communities where we work. Find out more about our Mobile Maternal & Infant Health program here.

In other good news, Guatemalans have overwhelmingly elected reformist candidate Bernardo Arévalo of the Movimiento Semilla to be the next president. This is a tremendous change that offers great promise. More on that news in this video update.

Wishing you a wonderful Fall,

Anne Kraemer, Chief Executive Officer

Click the photo for a short video take on Guatemala's elections.

Our talented research team!

RESEARCH RETREAT

Our ever-growing and ultra-productive research team gathered for a two-day retreat to map out our work for the coming years. The team has a variety of projects underway on critical topics including vaccine acceptance, child development, maternal and infant health, and chronic kidney disease, with more to come!

Maya Health | Wuqu' Kawoq is the fourth largest producer of scientific research in all of Guatemala.

Learn more about our research here.

READ ALL ABOUT US

We’re pleased to share stories, stats, and reflections from 2022. We cared for more than 9,000 patients in rural communities across Guatemala's Central Highlands in nearly 30,000 home and clinic visits. Read about our progress in maternal health, child development, and care navigation and get the latest on our plans to create an Institute for Health Education, Leadership, and Equity.

Check out our 2022 Annual Report here!

Show your support!

WELCOME HERB VANHOOK!

Meet our stellar new Board Member! Herb semi-retired from a long career in information technology in 2022, but still does a bit of consulting, and now lives in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. He has traveled extensively through work and personal trips and is fascinated by people and cultures around the world. Herb and his wife Tracy enjoy keeping up with the activities of their grown children and stay busy with volunteer work close to home. Herb is excited to be a small part of the mission of Wuqu’ Kawoq and believes the successful model the organization has built and delivered on is making a significant impact on the Mayan communities in Guatemala.

PRESENTATIONS & PUBLICATIONS

The Population Connection September 26 Global Partner Series will feature a conversation with Maya Health Chief Executive Officer Anne Kraemer and WINGS Medical Director Michelle Dubon to mark World Contraception Day. Learn more here.

We were honored to contribute to this important study on cardiovascular disease prevention published recently in JAMA. The study, which reflects experiences across 51 countries, found that aspirin, an effective and low-cost option for reducing adverse events among those with cardiovascular disease, is underused, particularly in low-income countries. The study determined that fewer than half of eligible people overall, and less than one-quarter of those in low- and lower-middle-income countries, were taking aspirin for secondary prevention of CVD (atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease). Wuqu’ Kawoq Co-Investigator and Physician David Flood was the lead author, and Chief Science Officer Peter Rohloff contributed to the study.

Other Recent Publications

Hierarchical Attentive Network for Gestational Age Estimation in Low-Resource Settings. IEEE J Biomed Health Inform. This study on detecting growth restriction in fetuses helped lay the groundwork for our work with midwives that is the subject of the AI for the Global Goals grant award.

Assessment of aflatoxin exposure, growth faltering and the gut microbiome among children in rural Guatemala: protocol for an observational prospective cohort and bioreactor simulations. BMJ Paediatr Open. This research explores how exposure to toxins produced by mold that grows on maize can affect child growth.

Adults' experiences with type 2 diabetes in rural Guatemala: a qualitative study. J Health Care Poor Underserved. In this study, researchers investigate perspectives of people living with diabetes in two rural Indigenous Maya towns regarding cause, treatment, and other aspects of the disease.

Thank you so much for your ongoing support!

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Maya Health Alliance | Wuqu' Kawoq
PO BOX 91 | Bethel, Vermont 05032-0091
513-393-9878 | development@wuqukawoq.org

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