Over a quarter of people in Peru live in moderate or extreme poverty. In metropolitan Lima alone, there are approx. 1.2 million people living in poverty. Poverty rates are worse among indigenous peoples whose populations are concentrated in the Highlands and Amazon basin. Cusco is nestled in the Amazon basin, with diverse and rich pockets of national and indigenous cultures.  

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Neonatal and maternal mortality rates in Peru have lowered in the last two decades thanks to work of organizations like the World Health Organization and the World Bank, but there is still crucial work to be done. Indigenous peoples in Peru still have a much higher mortality rate than those in more affluent areas. Much of this challenge is directly impacted by a severe gender gap leading to higher rates of poverty for female-headed households.

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Mortality rates in urban and rural Cusco and surrounding areas remain higher than the Peruvian national average. These rates are similar to the rates and ratios we encountered during our 2019 trip to Nampula, Mozambique. Cusco is certainly an ideal location for Nurses En Route to continue our important work.

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Nurses En Route has been invited by the National Institute of Child Health in Lima, Peru to tour their facility NICU. We will be partnering with the Ministry of Health in Cusco along with the Nativos Spanish School to learn more about the work happening in Cusco; we'll be sharing information and training local healthcare workers, so they can continue the vital work of reducing neonatal and maternal mortality rates in the impoverished areas of Cusco. We are purposely working with female leaders in both Lima and Cusco, creating bonds and collaborative efforts to empower women in making wise choices about their health and the health of their families.

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Learn more about our upcoming journey and help us in our work by contacting us today.

 

We value your support and encouragement as we continue our mission to better the lives of mothers and their children across the globe!

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