From the press release:
“We, as health care providers, as NGOs, as charities, we are only perpetuating the decades of marginalization, racism and poverty by continually failing to provide services in the language, culture, and understanding of the vulnerable communities.” — Anne Diaz, Wuqu’ Kawoq, Maya Health Alliance
The Intersection of Culture, Language and Healthcare in Maya Guatemala
Peter Rohloff, MD, PhD
Medical Director, Wuqu’ Kawoq — Maya Health Alliance
Join us in the University YMCA on Wednesday, July 10, 2:00 p.m., for a seminar by University of Illinois alum Dr. Peter Rohloff.
Wuqu’ Kawoq | Maya Health Alliance was founded in 2006 by four friends — two linguists, one anthropologist, and one physician — who met in Guatemala and were united by their commitment to finding solutions to development problems that strengthened and invigorated local cultures and languages, rather than destabilizing them.
Peter Rohloff directs Wuqu’ Kawoq’s medical programs and provides guidance, leadership, oversight, and quality assurance for Wuqu’ Kawoq’s medical protocols, staff, and patients. He also plays a key role in strategic planning for the organization. He holds doctorates in pathobiology and medicine.
Since 2002, he has managed clinical programs in Guatemala. Peter is a physician in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. His research interests in Guatemala include ethnomedicine, cultural revitalization, and resource-poor health care management. He speaks Spanish, Kaqchikel, and K’ichee.