About this role
Maternal and Child Health Specialist
Project Description: Communities in Guyana are looking for certified midwives and nurses to support community-level health education and services.
Limited sexual and reproductive health education, cultural stigma, transportation barriers, and shortages of trained healthcare workers all restrict access to timely prenatal and emergency obstetric care in Guyana. Adolescent pregnancy—roughly 20% of the country’s pregnancies—is closely tied to cycles of poverty, school dropout, and limited access to contraception and reproductive health services. Geographic isolation further complicates healthcare delivery, particularly in remote and underserved regions that face a shortage of obstetric specialists and midwives. While maternal and adolescent health are national priorities, the scale and complexity of these challenges exceed the capacity of Guyana’s health system, underscoring the need for substantial additional support.
As a Maternal and Child Health Specialist, you will collaborate with health workers to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of public health programs. Together, you will provide high-quality health education, equipping families with the knowledge to make healthy choices. Through sustained community engagement, strengthened health workforce capacity, and improved organizational systems, you’ll support communities to build healthier, more resilient futures.
Required Skills: Bachelor's degree in public health, community health, social sciences, or a related field. AND Two or more years of relevant work experience in public health, preferably in one of the following areas: maternal health, infant and child health, nutrition, malaria control, and the prevention and care for tuberculosis (TB) or HIV/AIDS.
Living Conditions: Peace Corps Response Volunteers (PCRVs) serve in regional communities ranging from remote towns to semi‑urban villages. PCRVs will be accommodated in host families as a priority, with limited independent housing. Daily life may include modest living conditions with limited electricity, internet, and running water. While most sites are rural, Volunteers can visit larger markets monthly to restock supplies.
Activities: Facilitate knowledge-sharing of health topics to encourage healthy behaviors. Strengthen the technical capacity of service providers to effectively deliver health services and high-quality health education. Implement community mobilization activities to increase awareness, acceptance, and use of health services, products, or behaviors. Support the implementation of new practices, tools, or resources to strengthen organizational capacity. Organize and facilitate training sessions, workshops, and community outreach. Prepare regular progress reports, success stories, and case studies. Support the development of monitoring and evaluation tools and frameworks.
You may also work on additional projects that meet your community’s interests and priorities, such as maternal mental health screening and awareness and physical activity and exercise groups.
Training: After a two-week orientation on topics such as health and safety, you will move to an urban community where you will collaborate with maternal child health workers to assess the needs and develop a workplan in line with their established goals.
Job Highlights: Turn your passion and skills into impact by supporting public health programs in Guyana. Expand your project management proficiency and sharpen your monitoring and evaluation skills. Experience one of the most biodiverse South American countries while gaining a deeper understanding of its culture.