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Rural public health systems and accountability politics: insights from grassroots health rights defenders in Guatemala

  • Julia Fischer-Mackey
  • , Benilda Batzin
  • , Paulina Culum
  • , Jonathan Fox

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

As the pandemic reveals how multiple intersecting inequalities affect public health, the work of rural activists defending their communities' rights to health, land, and gender, ethnic and environmental justice demonstrate how intersectional analysis can be put into practice. In the interviews that follow, Guatemalan Maya Tz'utujil activists Paulina Culum and Benilda Batzin describe how ‘health rights defenders’ seek justice for rural indigenous communities–work that the pandemic makes more critical than ever. Their strategies and insights have implications for addressing rural health rights around the world.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)899-926
Number of pages28
JournalJournal of Peasant Studies
Volume47
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 28 Jul 2020
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Funding

At a departmental level, the REDC-Salud network coordinates actions with hospitals as well as the Healthcare Area Directorate. We coordinate our work and we have spaces for dialog. We have a very good relationship with the hospitals in Sololá, with the hospital director. We’ve made progress with her as well as the Healthcare Area Directorate, which is responsible for healthcare centers and outposts. That’s where decisions regarding various programs or the implementation of various programs are made based on public healthcare policies. It receives funding from the Ministry of Health to implement these actions. This is where decisions regarding health centers and health posts are taken.

Funders
Ministerio de Sanidad, Consumo y Bienestar Social

    UN SDGs

    This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

    1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
      SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

    Keywords

    • COVID-19
    • Guatemala
    • Health rights
    • accountability
    • community health worker
    • defender

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