Multi-Disciplinary Interventions to Reduce the Burden of Tuberculosis, and the CO-Infection with HIV/AIDS, in Indigenous Women Populations in Guatemala

This presentation outlines the partnership among Mayan local, national and international organizations to implement a multi-disciplinary approach to reduce the incidence and prevalence of tuberculosis, and the co-infection with HIV/AIDS of indigenous women from populations in Guatemala. Our goal is to build a sustainable program that will implement scientifically sound gender and culturally competent public health interventions. Data was drawn from the authors' personal working experience, multilateral international organizations working in Guatemala and from Guatemala's Ministry of Health national health reports. We discuss the gender issues, and socioeconomic factors that positioned Guatemala and especially women from indigenous populations as the hardest hit from multi-drug resistant tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS in the region. Health disparities, the role of mobile populations within the country, and among neighboring countries are also discussed. Supportive and challenging variables of the current multidisciplinary approach are also addressed. Health disparities and inequities play an important role in maintaining a poor health status in the indigenous women populations in Guatemala. In the Izabal Department, tuberculosis and its co-infection with HIV/AIDS need to be tackled with national and international stakeholders. A multi-disciplinary scientifically sound and culturally competent approach can be replicated in other indigenous- populated countries. This would serve as a pilot model for other regions in Guatemala and other Latin American countries that gather indigenous populations prioritizing women and girls. There is also a need to sustain the achievements by strengthening multi-level partnership with national and international stakeholders.