About Us
Why We Exist
We work to solve pressing health needs in Guatemala’s most underserved communities. Led by indigenous health care workers, we bring together medicine, culture, and language to overcome barriers to health and well-being. Where others say “no,” we say “yes.”
We believe that your health should not depend on where you were born or the language you speak.
How We Got Our Name
We were born on January 1, 2007 – the day on the traditional Maya calendar of Wuqu’ Kawoq, which represents medicine and healthcare providers. We chose this as our name to reflect our mission of providing quality care in rural, Maya communities.
We also go by Maya Health Alliance so it’s easier for more people to know what we’re about!
Why Guatemala
Guatemala’s income distribution is among the most unequal in the world.
A woman in Guatemala is ten times more likely than a woman in the United States to die during childbirth.
As many as 70% of children in rural communities in Guatemala suffer chronic malnutrition.
The rate of type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes among Maya people is 25% — more than double the national rate.
These problems, which disproportionately affect Guatemala’s indigenous Maya people, are not new. The arrival of the Spanish 500 years ago marked the start of a difficult history for the Maya. They lost their lands and their freedom. In the 1980s, hundreds of thousands of lost their lives in Guatemala’s 36-year civil war. Throughout, they have endured.
Today, there are millions of Maya people living in Guatemala. Nearly half of all Guatemalans speak a Mayan language. But most healthcare in Guatemala is delivered in Spanish. Many indigenous people would prefer to die at home than to be treated in a hospital where no one speaks their language or respects their dignity. We work in Guatemala because the Maya people, languages, and culture are still alive. We want to keep it that way.
What We Do
Since 2007, we have been advancing lasting changes in healthcare delivery across rural Guatemala so that high-quality care, health, and well-being are within reach for everyone. Led by indigenous Maya, we provide high quality health care to more than 11,000 patients in 35,000 visits a year. Community Health Workers provide care in the communities where our patients live and in their primary languages. Our program areas include child health, chronic disease, maternal health, primary care, and women’s health.
