This program was previously completed as a collaboration between George Mason University and Origins of Food. The Maternal and Child Health: Peru program is a 16 day, 3 semester credit summer program that explores healthcare around coastal and highland Peru.

 

This program intends to explore Peru’s history of traditional medicine and its transition to modern healthcare through the lens of maternal health. Over the course of two weeks, we will witness the variety of healthcare services and how they affect different parts of the population depending on wealth, geography, and social class. From private urban hospitals to rural clinics, we will meet with doctors, specialists, and healthcare workers to discuss the realities of health for Peruvians. Taking it further outside the classroom, we'll get our hands dirty at an organic farm that produces traditional herbal remedies and embark on a journey through the Andes that culminates at the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu.

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Across this program we will compare the vast differences between health care and access along the urban, modern Peruvian coast, including the capital of Lima, to the rural towns around Cusco, where the Quechua population follows more traditional medicine practices.