Curamericas Global Celebrates Renewed Commitment to End Preventable Maternal and Child Deaths by 2035 

Curamericas Global, a NC-based global nonprofit, is celebrating 40 years of providing hope through health by partnering with underserved communities around the world and right here in the Triangle. In 2023, the Raleigh-based nonprofit will continue its legacy of pioneering new avenues for maternal and child care – improving the overall health and wellbeing of communities through census-based, community-focused methodologies at 93 partner communities across Bolivia, Guatemala, Kenya, Haiti, Liberia and North Carolina.

“As we reflect on our first 40 years, Curamericas Global is grateful for the opportunity to make an immeasurable positive impact for individuals and communities that might otherwise be forgotten,” said Andrew Herrera, Executive Director of Curamericas Global. “Looking ahead, we remain steadfast in our mission to end preventable child and maternal deaths by 2035.”

One of the nonprofit’s standout achievements in 40 years of pursuing its mission is developing its census-based impact-oriented (CBIO) methodology. CBIO utilizes census data to determine real problems within communities to build programs that best meet the needs of the local population, creating sustainable partnerships with local organizations and leaders, and empowering its partners with tools to do the work and continue the work independently.

Curamericas Global is proud to report the top five successes since its inception:

• Creating a new paradigm for community-based maternal/newborn care that integrates indigenous culture and accessible, high-quality care with its Casas Maternas (Community Birthing Centers) in Guatemala in a respectful, culturally appropriate manner. 
• Influencing a 50% reduction in maternal and child mortality rates in Guatemala, Bolivia, and Liberia.
• Partnering with North Carolina entities such as the Guatemalan Consulate to provide the local Guatemalan community with basic health screening services, and the City of Durham to improve data collection and capacity of local community organizations.
• Impacting more than 205,578 women and children through generous donations and strategic giving campaigns, such as the nonprofit’s biannual “Mom-A-Thon” virtual peer-to-peer fundraising initiative. Mom-A-Thon 2022 exceeded its donation goal, raising $519,493 to support the organization’s programs for 2023.
• Reaching the “1 Million Lives Served” threshold in 2013 – a number that has grown at an increasing rate each year since.

Curamericas’ mission to end preventable suffering began in 1983 through the efforts of Dr. Henry Perry and Dr. Alice Weldon from Duke University. Perry and Weldon partnered closely with the Bolivian Methodist Church and the Bolivian Ministry of Health to support indigenous villagers with public health services in a community living at 13,500 feet above sea level in Bolivia’s rural Northern Altiplano region.

“Ultimately, Curamericas’ number one success to date is sharing practical acts of compassion for thousands of people with inadequate access to basic and essential health services,” said Dr. Henry Perry, Founder of Curamericas Global. “We aim to leave the world better than we found it.”

To learn more, please visit https://curamericas.org/. 

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About Curamericas: Curamericas Global partners with underserved communities to provide measurable and sustainable improvements in their health and well-being. Curamericas Global was founded in 1983 with the goal of establishing sustainable primary health care programs that are responsive to the needs of the community while also building the capacity of local health service providers. Supported by foundations from across the country and many individuals, Curamericas Global has served over 1,700,000 people in the most underserved areas across the globe. Follow Curamericas Global on Twitter @Curamericas and Facebook at www.facebook.com/CuramericasGlobal.

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