MSF, Doctors Without Borders, MSF activities in Guatemala

Guatemala

From 2021 until June 2025, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) ran medical activities in Esquipulas, on the border with Honduras, and Tecún Umán, on the border with Mexico.

The services our teams provided included general medical and psychological care. Through this project, which we closed due to the impacts of the United States government’s migration policies, we provided care to over 238,000 people. 

We have intermittently worked in Guatemala since 1984.

Our activities in Guatemala in 2024

Data and information from the International Activity Report 2024.

MSF IN GUATEMALA IN 2024 Many people pass through Guatemala while journeying up Central America. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) ran projects at two border points, offering vital medical and psychological assistance to people on the move.
MSF, Doctors Without Borders, MSF activities in Guatemala

In 2024, our teams provided essential services including nutrition support, sexual and reproductive healthcare, care for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), diagnosis and treatment of high-risk communicable diseases, and psychosocial and basic psychiatric care.

Our clinics were strategically located, serving not only as medical care points but also as safe spaces where people can rest, access showers and toilets, and use the internet to contact their families.

Health promoters were key members of our teams in both projects. Their work was crucial in understanding people’s needs and connecting them to the right services – for example, identifying cases of sexual violence and ensuring that victims and survivors receive the necessary medical care and emotional support. They also guided people on where to find assistance and how to access MSF clinics along their journey.

Mental health teams and health promoters ran both group and individual sessions, where they identified people with prior diagnoses of NCDs or psychiatric conditions, and referred them for treatment. Our team in Danlí, Honduras, also referred patients with these conditions to our nearest project in Esquipulas.

In addition to these activities, we provided staff training at both locations to support partner organisations and the Ministry of Health – for example, training health centre staff to identify psychological disorders.

IN 2024

 
Guatemala - Earthquake
Natural Disasters

Guatemala: After the earthquake

Press Release 6 Nov 2012
 
Chagas

A Call for a More Rounded Resolution on Chagas Disease

Press Release 17 May 2010