During the summer of 2012, on a visit to the Guna Yala indigenous region in northeastern Panama, we met Iranelda, a 16-year-old girl in labor whose baby was in a transverse position, requiring a cesarean section. She was ready to be transferred to Panama City to receive the necessary medical care. However, her family objected, trusting that the community’s healers, with their … [Read more...] about A Decade of Efforts to Reduce Maternal and Neonatal Mortality: The Salud Mesoamerica Initiative
Inclusive Parks and Playgrounds for a Healthy and Inclusive City
In the early hours of April 16, 2016, a devastating earthquake shook Ecuador's coast, leaving destruction and loss in its wake. One of the hardest-hit cities was Portoviejo, where the earthquake severely damaged infrastructure, displaced communities, and profoundly impacted residents' sense of belonging to public spaces. Following the tragedy, a reconstruction process … [Read more...] about Inclusive Parks and Playgrounds for a Healthy and Inclusive City
Shaping the Future of Childhood: Two Key Pillars to Improve Child Development in Ecuador
"My son came here unable to speak. He wouldn't talk, he wouldn't share. He went through a total change. He is an open, cheerful, fun child today," Alexandra tells us excitedly. She is one of the mothers who takes her son to the Child Development Center (CDI) in Ibarra, Ecuador, every morning. It is a free service that is a great help for her son's upbringing and … [Read more...] about Shaping the Future of Childhood: Two Key Pillars to Improve Child Development in Ecuador