Aymara´s births in Patacamaya

Bolvia has one of the highest maternal and child mortality in Latin America.

Bolvia has one of the highest maternal and child mortality in Latin America. In 2013 the record states that 230 women and 36 babies died per 100 thousand childbirths.

In La Paz’s province, 90% of the population are indigenous people and most of them don’t trust moderm medical.

But since few years ago, some hospitals have rooms with certain regulations for working in accordance with the traditional indigenous ideals, in which doctors and midwives work side by side, so women which doesn’t belive in moderm medical, go to hospitals.

Thanks to cultural adequacy measures, both maternal and child mortality have decreased in the last 3 years.

© Olmo Calvo - Zenobia Mamani Ramos, 38 years old, 38 weeks pregnant, cooking in her house in Patacamaya. September 12th 2013
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Zenobia Mamani Ramos, 38 years old, 38 weeks pregnant, cooking in her house in Patacamaya. September 12th 2013

© Olmo Calvo - Image from the Aymara´s births in Patacamaya photography project
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A traditional doctor collects herbs for preparing natural medicines in the village of Callapa, Bolivia, on September 26, 2013.

© Olmo Calvo - General view of El Alto city, next to La Paz in Bolivia. September 2th 2013
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General view of El Alto city, next to La Paz in Bolivia. September 2th 2013

© Olmo Calvo - Image from the Aymara´s births in Patacamaya photography project
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Elsa Quispe Matías de Fila, 41 years old, with his baby a day after birth at her home Patacamaya the September 7, 2013. Elsa gave birth at home assisted by her husband Eduardo Row Apaza, 39 yeras old, because they trust in biomedical medicine. They have five children and they all were born at home.

© Olmo Calvo - Storm in Patacamaya town, Bolivia, september 8th 2013
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Storm in Patacamaya town, Bolivia, september 8th 2013

© Olmo Calvo - Image from the Aymara´s births in Patacamaya photography project
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Andrea Paris Mamani’s daughters in their house where they live in Belén Iguiaca, observed the body of the baby who stillborn. The girls are Segundina 12 years old, and Iliana 8 years old. September 23th, 2013.

© Olmo Calvo - Image from the Aymara´s births in Patacamaya photography project
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Isidro Guachalla, 60 years old, digs a tomb for Andrea’s Paris Mamani baby (45 years old) how stillborn in Patacamaya’s Hospital. At the funeral were Antonio Tola Lima (66 years old), two neighboring and Andrea’s Paris Mamani four daughters, Sofía 19 years old, Segundina 12 years old, Iliana 8 years old and Crisilda 6 years old. Belén Iquica town, Bolivia, September 23th, 2013

© Olmo Calvo - Image from the Aymara´s births in Patacamaya photography project
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The midwife Valeria Guarachi, 48 years old, massaged to Zenobia Mamani Ramos, 38 years old, 38 weeks pregnant, in her house in Patacamaya. September 16th 2013

© Olmo Calvo - Image from the Aymara´s births in Patacamaya photography project
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Silvia Aliaga, de 19 años de edad, embarazada de 39 semanas, en la puerta de su casa de Patacamaya. 6 de septiembre de 2013. Silvia Aliaga, 19 years old, 39 weeks pregnant, in the entrance of her house in Patacamaya, Bolivia. September 6th 2013

© Olmo Calvo - Image from the Aymara´s births in Patacamaya photography project
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Siñani Chiparer, 31 years old, on bended knee giving birth in a cultural appropriateness’ room in Patacamaya’s Hospital, the medical staff helped her while her son Jose Armanado, 12 years old, observe. September 20th 2013.

© Olmo Calvo - Image from the Aymara´s births in Patacamaya photography project
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Andrea Paris Mamani, 45 years old, gave birth a dead baby in Patacamaya’s Hopsital in Bolivia September 23th, 2013. After 9 gestation months, spent several weeks since fulfilled their date of birth. Because of fear to biomedical medicine she didn´t go to hospital before, and when she did, her baby was die in her belly.

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