Lesaca Esquiroz, Javier (2017). Baseline Salud Mesoamerica Guatemala: Health Facility Survey 2015. IDB Open Data. https://doi.org/10.60966/n1jv0ai2

1. Spanish

How can this dataset be used?

Researchers, health planners, and policymakers can use this dataset to:

• Evaluate facility-level performance across Guatemala’s public health system.
• Identify regional disparities in access and quality of care.
• Support evidence-based health planning and resource allocation.
• Benchmark Guatemala’s progress toward maternal and child health targets in the Mesoamerica region.

How does this relate to healthcare in Guatemala?

The data reveal how healthcare in Guatemala is evolving—showing improvements in service coverage but also gaps in infrastructure, staffing, and supply chains.
The findings contribute to ongoing reforms to make the Guatemalan healthcare system more equitable, efficient, and resilient, particularly in rural and low-income areas.

Who conducted the survey?

The survey was conducted through collaboration between the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance of Guatemala, and regional partners of the Mesoamerica Health Initiative.
It forms part of a regional effort to strengthen data collection and improve health outcomes across Central America.

What are the types of health services offered through the public sector in Guatemala?

This dataset captures service availability and readiness across a sample of public-sector health facilities in Guatemala participating in the Salud Mesoamérica Initiative.

Based on the facility questionnaire, the dataset provides evidence on the availability of:

• Maternal health services, including antenatal care processes and delivery-area readiness
• Child health services, such as growth monitoring and basic pediatric care inputs
• Immunization services, including vaccine storage and cold-chain readiness
• Family planning services, including availability of contraceptive-related inputs
• Basic diagnostic capacity, reflected through selected laboratory and screening indicators

The dataset does not represent all public health services nationwide and does not include coverage of tertiary or specialized care.

What is the structure and services of primary healthcare clinics in Guatemala?

This is partially answered by this dataset (sampled facilities only).

The dataset includes facility-type classifications and service-readiness indicators that enable analysis of primary-level public health care clinics within the survey sample.

It supports describing: - Types of primary-level facilities included in the survey - Services commonly offered at these facilities (maternal care, immunization, family planning, child health) - Readiness factors such as staffing coverage indicators, equipment availability, and cold-chain capacity

It does not define the national primary care network structure, referral pathways, or governance model.

What is the current status of maternal and child health programs in Guatemala?

The dataset partially answers this question historically.

This dataset provides a 2013 baseline snapshot of maternal and child health service readiness in participating public facilities, including: - Antenatal care process elements - Delivery preparedness indicators - Immunization service readiness - Child growth monitoring components

It does not reflect current conditions, post-2013 program outcomes, or national coverage trends.

What is the current state of medical care services in Guatemala?

Partially answered at the facility level; not system-wide.

The dataset provides limited insight into the readiness and availability of medical services at sampled public facilities in 2013, particularly for primary and maternal-child health services.

It does not provide: - National service coverage levels - Private-sector service availability - Quality-of-care outcomes - Patient satisfaction measures

The survey does not capture tertiary care services, the availability of specialty treatments, or referral hospital capacity.

What are the healthcare accessibility challenges in rural Guatemala?

While facility readiness gaps are evident in the sample, the dataset does not account for causal, geographic, financial, or infrastructural barriers to healthcare access in rural areas.