Overcoming Health Inequities for Maya Populations in Guatemala

As rural Indigenous communities face unique vulnerabilities and structural historical barriers, innovative health care delivery models are more critical than ever. This session will explore how Maya Health Alliance has spent the past 15 years pioneering culturally and linguistically competent care in these communities. Dr. Waleska López, Chief Medical Officer of Wuqu’ Kawoq at Maya Health Alliance, and Dr. Peter Rohloff, co-founder and Chief Science Officer for Maya Health Alliance and Associate Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard, will discuss lessons learned from their work developing a standard of excellence for engaged, community-based care for rural indigenous communities in Guatemala. Dr. Louise Ivers will moderate the conversation. 

Our speakers will showcase strategies for transforming lives through community-centered healthcare, highlighting their recent efforts to address high maternal-infant morbidity and mortality, heat-related injury in agricultural workers, and other critical health issues faced by Guatemala’s Mayan population. This conversation will aim to inform how lessons learned in Guatemala could apply to improving the health outcomes in rural and Indigenous populations globally.   

This event is free and open to the public.  Please note the event will be available in both English and Spanish with translation by an interpreter through Zoom.

Register

About the Speakers

Dr. Peter Rohloff, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer for Maya Health Alliance, Associate Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital 

Dr. Rohloff’s research is focused on using dissemination/implementation and quality improvement methodologies to investigate and improve barriers to health care delivery. In addition to their position at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, they are the co-founder and Chief Science Officer for Maya Health Alliance, a primary care organization working with indigenous Maya communities in rural Guatemala. Primary research interests include behavior change interventions for cardiovascular disease and diabetes; epidemiology of chronic kidney disease; determinants of food insecurity and chronic child malnutrition; and family-based interventions to support early child development.

Dr. Waleska López, Chief Medical Officer of Wuqu‘ Kawoq at Maya Health Alliance

Dr. Maxbeny Waleska López Canú is the Chief Medical Officer of Wuqu’ Kawoq at Maya Health Alliance, overseeing a team of more than 100 healthcare workers and providing essential healthcare in indigenous languages. Dr. López , who fled Guatemala’s civil war for refuge in Mexico as a child, was inspired by her family’s dedication to helping refugees and pursued a career in medicine, becoming one of the few indigenous doctors in the region. She has worked extensively in Mexico and Guatemala for Ministry of Health programs to extend coverage to rural areas. 

Dr. López is internationally recognized and has been invited to speak on subjects such as women’s leadership and health equity. She is also a co-author of several articles addressing global and indigenous health challenges. Her journey is a testament to her unwavering dedication and resilience in her mission to build a better world. 

Dr. Louise C. Ivers, MD, MPH, DTM&H, Faculty Director, Harvard Global Health Institute

Dr. Louise C. Ivers, MD, MPH, DTM&H is the Faculty Director of the Harvard Global Health Institute and the Executive Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Global Health. Dr. Ivers is also the David Bangsberg Endowed Chair in Global Health Equity at MGH and a Professor of Medicine and Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ivers has spent her career providing care to the rural and urban poor and engaging in patient-oriented investigation that offer solutions to barriers to healthcare. She works on the design, implementation, and evaluation of large-scale public health programs in resource-limited settings with the goal of achieving health equity. She has worked on healthcare delivery in India, Southeast Asia, and Africa. From 2003-2017, Dr. Ivers served in various leadership roles for Partners in Health, including Clinical Director, Chief of mission, and Director of strategic implementation. In addition to expanding access to healthcare for the poor, Dr. Ivers has contributed to published research articles on HIV/AIDS, food insecurity, and cholera treatment and prevention and is involved in global policy and advocacy.

About the Global Health Coffee Sessions Event Series

The HGHI Coffee Sessions Virtual Series takes place on the last Friday of each month from 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM Eastern Time. Showcasing global health researchers and practitioners from Harvard and beyond, this series aims to explore the role of partnership and collaboration when working to advance global health equity. A diverse range of topics will be covered; including climate change and health, global health security, mental healthcare, reproductive healthcare access, financing and governance for global health, healthcare in conflict areas, digital health, and more. This series will take place online over Zoom, and all sessions will be recorded and available on our YouTube Channel.

Through our events and programs, the Harvard Global Health Institute provides a platform for different perspectives and debates within the field of global health through a variety of media. The views expressed in these events and programs are solely those of the speakers, authors, researchers, and participating audience. As such, they do not speak for the Institute or the university.