A huge milestone in our Guatemala project occurred on August 26th—we broke ground for first of the new Casas Maternas in the town of Pueblo Nuevo! Over the course of five years, we will cover the entire municipality with a network of five Casas Maternas and bring accessible healthcare to a population of 61,000!
For those who haven’t heard, Impact Global Health Alliance’ Casas Maternas are culturally-adapted birthing facilities that provide Mayan women with the medical care and support during their pregnancy, delivery and after the birth. This new Casa Materna is the first of five that will be built through a partnership between Impact Global Health Alliance and the Guatemala Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of San Marcos. Together, the five Casa Maternas will create a Model Municipality that will bring life-saving healthcare and health education to the rural Mam Mayan population, which now suffer from appallingly high maternal and neonatal mortality rates.
The new project will combine the power of mother-to-mother health education with Impact Global Health Alliance’ signature CBIO methodology, which ensures that the project is equitable and is addressing the highest health priorities. In the areas served by our previously established three Casas Maternas we have not had one maternal death in the past three years, and we look forward to making a similar impact on a much larger scale for the communities in San Marcos!
Impact Global Health Alliance’ San Marcos community partners are committed to the tasks and responsibilities 
needed to build and sustain this Casa Materna, which will be built adjacent to the existing health post in Pueblo Nuevo. We are excited to see the ways in which lives will be changed in San Marcos as our Casas Maternas are established and healthcare access is increased!
Article by: Annalisa Kristoffersen, Outreach & Development Intern
