Problem: Maternal mortality Peru is currently somewhere close to 240 deaths for every 100,000.

In comparison to some other third world countries, this number is considerably low. However, in
comparison with the industrial world and their single digit maternal mortality rate, the number is
incredibly too high. One of the big problems in Peru related to maternal mortality is the shortage
of equipment, supplies, and qualified staff. Among rural women, an issue of discrimination also
exists. Medical personnel will often discriminate against the more indigenous women which
leads to them receiving (if they receive it at all) a lower quality of healthcare. The problems of
discrimination as well as a shortage of needed medical materials is often localized to the more
rural parts of Peru and can be seen most prominently there.
Reason for problem: Discrimination happens against more rural, indigenous women because
they are looked down upon in Peru. This is a huge issue because those who would be less
discriminatory against the indigenous women would be indigenous women themselves and there
are very few who are educated to the point of being able to work in the medical field. The reason
for the lack of supplies and medical personnel has to do with how poor Peru is as a country and
also where they choose to put their funds.
Solution: The most obvious solution for this problem would be to find a way to eliminate
discrimination among the rural, indigenous women. I believe the best way to do this is to expose
the more "urban" Peruvians to those who might be considered rural or indigenous. My solution
would be to start a government program (channeling funds previously used for other purposes,
perhaps a little less important) to support rural women going to medical school. As more rural
women begin to participate in healthcare professions, their culture will be understood and
accepted more among health personnel. They would help to fight the discrimination among
already established healthcare personnel as well as aspiring healthcare personnel and would also
be able to tend other indigenous women in their own language. The project could be tested out
over 10 years to see how well it functions - the years it takes the women in school as well as a
few years to see how it affects the rest of the population.

Problem: The amounts of documented cases of HIV/AIDS in Peru has reached a level to where
it could be considered a concentrated epidemic. The Joint United Nations Program on
HIV/AIDS estimated that 76,000 Peruvians currently have HIV/AIDS, implying that many of
those citizens are unaware they have contracted it (there were 41,638 Peruvians who were HIVPositive in 2010). 77% of the reported cases of HIV/AIDS are in the big cities of Lima and
Callao.
Cause: 97% of all cases of HIV/AIDS in Peru were contracted sexually and the percentage of
those who had unprotected sex is nearly 100%. The reason HIV/AIDS is a problem in Peru is
primarily due to unprotected sex and especially from sex between two men.
Solution: As members of the LDS faith, obviously we believe that sex should only occur
between couples legally and lawfully wedded. However, because there is a separation between
church and state, we must accept that sex outside of marriage will occur and sometimes within
homosexual couples as well. As such, the best solution to fight HIV/AIDS is to educate the
people. In a report taken in 2008, less than 5% of schools in Peru are estimated to have sex
education programs. Personally, I believe that this is something that should be taught and talked
about in the home, but part of the solution will be to have those programs available in schools so
that those who arent taught at home will get that education from a source besides their peers and
the media. The goal would include meeting with government officials who work in education to
encourage them to pass a law which would mandate such education in every school. A committee
would be formed to create the class and a teacher (already hired by each school) would be
assigned to teach the curriculum. Students would have the option to opt out if their parents
signed a form.