Malnutrition in Guatemala - THE SAD FACTS

As ROMP enters its fifth year working in Guatemala the situation for many of the country's poor has only gotten worse. In a recent article in the August 29th edition of The Economist it was reported that "almost half of Guatemala's children are chronically malnourished - the sixth-worst performance in the world." A more disturbing fact revealed in the article is that although Guatemala is wealthy enough to prevent this malnutrition the political will of its leaders is lacking. As a point to ponder, people with disabilities in Guatemala are at a far greater risk of falling into the cycle of poverty. An amputee without a prosthesis is one more mother or father unable to support their family. In a country where the systemic problems of disability, poverty and malnutrition pervade we need to do all we can to help. Amputees in Guatemala remain disabled because of they do not have a prosthesis, not because they are missing a limb. We cannot take every child in Guatemala out of poverty, adequately feed and clothe them. However, the ROMP clinic in Zacapa can at least help Guatemalans with disabilities stand up and fight on two feet.

For the article on Malnutrition in Guatemala read The Economist (click here)