Guatemala

59.3% of the population live in poverty
49.8% of children below 5 years of age are undernourished
127^th out of 188 countries in the Human Development Index
13.5% of the GDP come from agriculture and makes up 30-50% of the labour force

What is happening in Guatemala?

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Guatemala is the largest economy in central America, with low public debt and a stable budget deficit. However, it has one of the highest inequality rates in Latin America. Poverty continues to pose problems, with indigenous communities being particularly disadvantaged. Guatemala has the fourth highest rate of chronic malnutrition in the world, while the current poverty rate (as of 2020) is at 52.4%. Significant health problems remain and will continue to do so until some of Guatemala’s positive economic conditions can be translated into stable, reliable infrastructure.

What's the health situation?

Water quality in Guatemala is poor; contamination continues to be an issue which leads to preventable diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, tuberculosis and the spread of intestinal worms. Chronic non-communicable diseases are a heavy burden on the population, especially cardiovascular disease, diabetes, various types of cancer and chronic kidney disease. Among these, lower respiratory infections continue to be the most common cause of death.

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There is clearly a large disparity in access to healthcare in Guatemala. Rural communities and indigenous populations are primarily underserved with, on average, only 1.5 doctors available per 10,000 people. Compare this to 7.5 doctors per 10,000 in the cities.

See how your donation makes a difference

£5 can help us to give 15 people treatment

£20 will provide 40 children with antibiotics

£100 will provide 400 pregnant women with life saving medicine.

£450 will provide am emergency medical kit to 60 families.

Whatever you give, you could be making a life-changing, even life-saving difference to someone every month.

See how your donation makes a difference

£5 is enough to source and send £600 worth of medical supplies a year to people in need; enough to help approximately 50 people around the world.

£10 is enough to source and send £1,200 worth of medical supplies a year to people in need; enough to help approximately 100 people around the world.

£25 is enough to provide around 750 treatments in a year, helping approximately 250 people in need; and for some, is the difference between life & death.

£100 is enough to provide medicines and supplies for approximately 1,000 people a year living in disaster-hit and vulnerable communites.

Whatever you give, you could be making a life-changing, even life-saving difference to someone every month.

Donate

What is IHP doing to help?

With one of the highest rates of chronic child malnutrition in the world, a lack of access to safe drinking water and high levels of interpersonal violence, Guatemala faces many health challenges. However, IHP is currently working alongside our partner, Food for The Poor, to make a real difference. Through our work together, conditions are being drastically improved. Lives are being saved.

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