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Texas Children's Global Health Latin America
What if we could provide care for vulnerable children and their families and train high-quality healthcare providers where they live?
WE CAN
Give to Latin America Programs
Thank you for supporting the Texas Children’s Global Health programs in Latin America. Your gift helps us enhance access to care, build local healthcare capacity and create sustainable improvements in underserved communities.
Our Mission
The Texas Children’s Global Health Programs in Latin America strive to improve the health of vulnerable populations by:
- Identifying the diseases and at-risk groups and treat them before the occurrence of serious or irreversible harm,
- Building local capacity that ensures increased access to high quality, sustainable child and maternal health services, and
- Partnering with local institutions, both public and private, to catalyze a team-based approach to problem solving and amplify our impact on those we serve
The Challenge
Colombia
In rural Colombia, indigenous communities and refugees carry a heavier burden of disease and have a higher risk of dying than the rest of the population. They also lack access to basic health services, clean drinking water and necessary nutrition.
Fundacion Baylor Colombia seeks to reduce the disproportionate disease burden affecting these communities through direct care, identification of high-risk individuals, building local healthcare capacity and activities that promote determinants of good health and economic wellbeing.
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Argentina
As rural communities in Argentina experience the disruptive transformation of their economies, their health needs grow in volume and complexity that require greater agility from public health systems to meet those needs.
Fundación Baylor Argentina strives to focus on the most vulnerable members of these communities in transformation – children and women – to meet needs that might otherwise go untended. Our pediatricians, obstetricians, general physicians and health professional staff focus on resolving the health and education needs of the population and the professionals serving them through screening, prevention, treatment, teaching and outreach programs within the communities themselves.
Where We Work
Colombia
The Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation-Colombia (Baylor-Colombia) aims at improving the lives of indigenous mothers and children who live north of Riohacha on the Guajira peninsula of Colombia along the Venezuelan border.
The Wayúu are the largest indigenous group in Colombia. They live in remote areas far from health and other services, largely in family groups. It is a harsh environment, suffering from long-term drought and few natural resources. Severe malnutrition is a common underlying cause of many illnesses we see, exacerbated by lack of access to health care.
In addition to providing physicians, social workers and nutritionists, the program trained a team of Wayúu women to World Health Organization standards to work as health promoters in the communities. They identify life threatening illness in at-risk pregnant women and children, launch initial treatment locally, and refer ill and at-risk patients to health facilities for additional treatment. This highly successful program was recognized by the United Nations Development Programme and the Government of Colombia as a best social investment practice.
Fundacion Baylor Colombia operates a CRN, IPS and Alimercambio and facilitates knowledge dialogues between community leaders, health professionals and government.
Argentina
Our program in Argentina, Fundación Baylor-Argentina (Baylor Foundation Argentina) is centered in the province of Neuquén, where we work in partnership with the Provincial Health Ministry and several energy companies to provide high quality pediatric, maternal and community-based care centered in the town of Añelo.
To meet the growing needs of the population of Añelo, which has expanded rapidly over the past 5 years, the program focuses on strengthening access to primary care services for women and children through our key programs:
- Pediatric care including well-child visits, anemia detection and a vision screening program;
- Women’s health: prenatal care, cervical cancer screening and adolescent pregnancy prevention;
- Training and capacity building for local providers;
- Rural medicine program for communities in the remote areas of San Roque and Chihuido.
View our Recent Scholarly Activity
Team
James A. Thomas, MD, FAAP
Medical Director - Latin America, BIPAI
Medical Director, ECMO Service, Texas Children’s Hospital
Professor of Pediatric Critical Care, Baylor College of Medicine
Heather Haq, MD, MHS
Chief Medical Officer, BIPAI
Attending Physician, Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine
Partners
Chevron
YPF
Tecpetrol
ICBF
Exito Foundation
Simon Bolivar
IMC
Featured Stories
9/7/23
The First Lady of Colombia visits the Fundación Baylor Colombia Health Center to Help Promote the Benefits of Breast Milk
On August 3, 2023, during World Breastfeeding Week, Fundación Éxito in alliance with Fundación Baylor Colombia and Salutia, held a social mobilization event, featuring a Knowledge Dialogue on breast feeding with a guest panel of invited attendees at the comprehensive health center of Fundación Baylor Colombia.
8/6/21
Virginia and her breast milk donation, a love story to amplify
Before the start of the pandemic, Virginia Cabrera decided to become a mother who donated breast milk. She had read something on social media which had given her the idea. At that time, her little son Ramiro was just weeks old. With the decision made, she began to figure out how to donate breast milk but then the pandemic arrived and put everyone’s lives on hold (including the idea of donating breast milk) for months.
8/4/23
Texas Children’s Global Health Network spotlights partners in Argentina and Colombia for World Breastfeeding Week
Texas Children’s Global Health Network is shining a light on its partners in Colombia and Argentina for World Breastfeeding Week, the global campaign held from August 1-7 that aims to galvanize action on breastfeeding and related issues.
Connect with Texas Children’s Global Health Network and stay informed about
our efforts to empower communities to build healthier, happier and more prosperous futures.
