Texas Children’s Global Health Celebrates 10 Years of Partnership with Baylor Foundation Colombia

Texas Children’s celebrates a decade of providing health care training and medical care to children and families in Colombia  

Houston-(February 19, 2024) – Texas Children’s is proud to announce the 10th anniversary of its life-changing partnership with Baylor Foundation Colombia, a non-profit organization whose mission is to meet the health care needs of vulnerable populations in La Guajira and Atlántico, Colombia.

    
“For ten years, Texas Children’s has partnered with Baylor Foundation Colombia to make a life-changing difference for countless families in need, particularly for the Wayúu community and those fleeing the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela,” said Michael B. Mizwa, Director of Texas Children’s Global Health and CEO of Baylor College of Medicine Global Health. “Our success has allowed us to expand our impact and bring holistic programs to improve lives in the most vulnerable groups. All of us are honored to celebrate this important milestone.”

  
In 2014, Baylor Foundation Colombia was established to reduce child and maternal morbidity rates in the remote state of La Guajira, which has historically struggled with various critical health problems. The foundation works in partnership with the public health system in La Guajira and has expanded programs to Atlántico. Activities in the communities of Riohacha and Manaure in La Guajira are aimed at providing integrated solutions, driven by the local community and focused on five key objectives: access, capacity, surveillance, prevention and partnership.

“At Baylor Foundation Colombia, we focus our efforts on holistically improving lives and reducing maternal and child mortality and morbidity rates, and thanks to generous partners like Texas Children’s, we are proud to report tremendous success in the past ten years,” said Ana Maria Galvis, Executive Director of Baylor Foundation Colombia. “In Manaure, La Guajira, our sustained efforts have significantly improved mortality rates, moving the municipality from 2nd highest to 2nd lowest child mortality in Colombia.” 
Baylor Foundation Colombia is a partner in Texas Children’s Global Health Network, which leads efforts to advance healthcare equity through innovative collaboration in care, education and research globally.
 

The anniversary celebration, which Texas Children’s hosted on February 15, featured two keynote speakers: Andres Diez, Consul General of Colombia in Houston, and Ana Maria Galvis, Executive Director of Fundación Baylor Colombia. New corporate sponsors, Ecopetrol USA and Símon Bolívar Foundation, announced new partnerships at the reception.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas Children’s Global supports the Texas Children’s Global Health Network by sharing extensive knowledge and expert technical assistance, staff presence and support for physical infrastructure with its implementing partner foundations in Argentina, Botswana, Colombia, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Romania, Tanzania and Uganda. The Network operates 11 Centers of Excellenceand 9 satellites for integrated maternal and child health services across three continents, including a tuberculosis center in Eswatini, a maternal health center in Malawi and a government-certified health-providing institution (IPS) in Colombia. 
 

Learn more about Texas Children’s Global Health Network.
 

About Texas Children’s

Texas Children’s, a nonprofit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children’s hospital in Texas and among the top in the nation, Texas Children’s has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women’s health. The system includes the Texas Children’s Duncan NRI; the Feigin Tower for pediatric research; Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children’s care for communities north of Houston. The organization also created Texas Children’s Health Plan, the nation’s first HMO for children; Texas Children’s Pediatrics, the largest pediatric primary care network in the country; Texas Children’s Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that s channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children’s Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, visit www.texaschildrens.org.