Addressing Chronic Malnutrition in Guatemala

Looking at GHI's progress in Guatemala, Which Has the Highest rate of fourth chronic malnutrition.

The Global Post
Lomi Kriel
June 28, 2011 15:06

GUATEMALA CITY - As The Most populous metropolis in Central America, Guatemala City is fused With The frantic, desperate energy to eke out It Takes a living in the capital of one of the World's Most Unequal Countries.

More than anywhere else, "Guate" WHERE is this disparity is MOST evident. It is home to the country's relative handful of millionaires - the coffee, fruit and textile barons - as well as STI Thousands of impoverished peasants, Who Have flocked Here With Hopes of a better life since the end of Guatemala's Devastating three-decade-long civil war.

With Guatemala's rugged geography - Vast mountains and impenetrable jungle of acres - this disparity is Even Easier to ignore. Moreover, drug Violence Has Many areas of Guatemala made dangerous, and impossible to work in Often.
It is this Vast Inequality That Guatemala has landed on the list of eight "plus" countries in the Global Health Initiative (GHI) That President Barack Obama is focusing on as part of historical expansion and review of how the U.S.Funding is global and rethinking aid.
Guatemala is the wealthiest country in the first round of GHI plus country clubs, and the only one in the Western Hemisphere. Yet it have the fourth-highest rate of chronic malnutrition in the world, Higher Than Haiti and Sub-Saharan African MOST nations - a figure for a country Striking where, According To USAID, the average per capita Income per person is $ 2.700. Guatemala's stunting rate - the measure for a person's height When is drastically shortened Because of Sustainable malnutrition - have since stayed at the Same relativamente least 1995. More than 50 Percent of the country live in Poverty and About half of all Guatemalan children under five from chronic malnutrition Suffer - called the "invisible killer" These children do not Because Immediately while starve to death, Their brain capacity is drastically affects.
"It's Something That Has Been a really hard nut to crack and made as much progress whaven't As We Would Like," said Mary Vandenbroucke, a Latin American leader at USAID health, Many of Which is leading the GHI Efforts in Guatemala.
Experts say There Are Many Reasons Why Guatemala's chronic malnutrition rate have stayed so high for so long despite the country and other Improvements relative's own expansive Wealth and natural resources.Guatemala's violent and tragic civil war divided families, towns, and cities and particularly persecute the indigenous Populations, Many Who Fled Into the mountainous and rugged Western Highlands. A "culture of exclusion" Many have left to fend of the indigenous for often-inhospitable Themselves in terrain, far from the reach of the national Already weak government. Guatemala Struggles with drug Violence Widespread Corruption and while one of the HAVING Lowest rates in the tax world, the Government have FEW Meaning resources.
The Western Highlands shoulder the Majority of the country's malnourished, and Its Population, indigenous Mostly, you have the worst access to health care.It is this reason why ITS Efforts GHI is focusing there.
Tune in for reports of the situation on the ground from areas in Where the Majority of the children are malnourished chronically - Meaning Will Perform Their brains at an Estimated 30 Percent Lower Than That capacity of others'.