Otto Pérez Molina took office as the new Guatemalan President on 14th January and has promised to reduce poverty and child malnutrition. Health Poverty Action called for the new government to also improve maternal health for all women especially indigenous women.
Health Poverty Action has been asking people to sign a petition to call for culturally appropriate birthing techniques and for health services to be free from discrimination and prejudice. On Friday 13th Health Poverty Action campaigners gathered at the Guatemalan Embassy to present a petition of 20,000 names. Health Poverty Action Chair of Trustees Martin Kyndt , Director Martin Drewry, and Head of Campaigns Elizabeth Muggleton met with embassy officials to discuss what Health Poverty Action hopes the new Guatemalan government can achieve. The campaigners displayed cardboard silhouettes of pregnant women, with campaign messages on them, to represent the lives of pregnant women who have needlessly been lost to poor health services for indigenous women.
The barriers they face
- Indigenous women are particularly at risk of complications and death before, during or immediately after childbirth
- Their children are more likely to die in infancy
- In Guatemala, indigenous women are 3 times more likely to die in childbirth than non-indigenous women
- 29% of births by indigenous women are attended by a doctor or nurse, compared to 70% of births by non-indigenous women
- Indigenous women face many barriers in accessing health services including language and culture.
The meeting was positive and Health Poverty Action is hopeful that the events on Friday will contribute to making health services in Guatemala accessible to everyone.
The embassy responded:
“The Embassy of Guatemala in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland acknowledges and welcomes the efforts that Health Poverty Action is undertaking with its petition to improve indigenous maternal health in Guatemala. It is also pleased that Health Poverty Action has acknowledged the efforts that the State of Guatemala is undertaking in this matter, and welcomes its appeal to continue in line with these efforts”
“Indigenous health organisations seek to prevent maternal deaths…” Read More (In Spanish) orSee what the Guatemalan papers had to say about our petition…
We would like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who signed the petition and made this action possible.
For more information on our Mothers on the Margins campaign click here or to sign up click here
Last modified: 24/01/2012
