Harriet Joyce Foundation

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Our public health initiative for children in Ecuador

The Harriet Joyce Foundation seeks to address these
critical public health challenges in Ecuador:

Newborn
Health

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Nutrition and Environmental Health

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Ecuador Demographics by Province

Azuay

Population: 855,927
Annual births: 14,208
DCI < 2yrs: 24.8%
Anemia 6-59 months: 34.6%
E-coli in drinking water: 12.7%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 91%
White: 5%
Indigenous: 13%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 2%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 48%
Urban: 52%

Bolivar

Population: 242,999
Annual births: 4,034
DCI < 2 yrs: 23.9%
Anemia 6-59 months: 33.0%
E-coli in drinking water: 44.5%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 70%
White: 3%
Indigenous: 25%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 0%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 56%
Urban: 44%

Cañar

Population: 242,999
Annual births: 4,034
DCI < 2 yrs: 23.9%
Anemia 6-59 months: 33.0%
E-coli in drinking water: 44.5%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 70%
White: 3%
Indigenous: 25%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 0%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 56%
Urban: 44%

Carchi

Population: 184,539
Annual births: 3,063
DCI < 2 yrs: 22.2%
Anemia 6-59 months: 39.7%
E-coli in drinking water: 22.7%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 87%
White: 5%
Indigenous: 8%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 0%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 49%
Urban: 51%

Chimborazo

Population: 503,912
Annual births: 8,365
DCI < 2 yrs: 35.1%
Anemia 6-59 months: 34.5%
E-coli in drinking water: 23.9%
Stunting: 41.3%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 72%
White: 2%
Indigenous: 22%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 0%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 52%
Urban: 48%

Cotopaxi

Population: 502,072
Annual births: 7,334
DCI < 2 yrs: 27.6%
Anemia 6-59 months: 28.4%
E-coli in drinking water: 36.7%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 75%
White: 2%
Indigenous: 22%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 0%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 67%
Urban: 33%

Imbabura

Population: 501,719
Annual births: 8,329
DCI < 2 yrs: 16.2%
Anemia 6-59 months: 44.5%
E-coli in drinking water: 12.5%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 84%
White: 2%
Indigenous: 13%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 0%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 48%
Urban: 52%

Loja

Population: 518,314
Annual births: 8,604
DCI < 2 yrs: 22.6%
Anemia 6-59 months: 28.0%
E-coli in drinking water: 31.6%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 76%
White: 2%
Indigenous: 22%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 0%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 40%
Urban: 60%

Pichincha

Population: 3,298,821
Annual births: 54,760
DCI < 2 yrs: 22.1%
Anemia 6-59 months: 40.9%
E-coli in drinking water: 2.6%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 86%
White: 8%
Indigenous: 2%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 1%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 37%
Urban: 63%

Tungurahua

Population: 614,947
Annual births: 9,989
DCI < 2 yrs: 29.4%
Anemia 6-59 months: 32.1%
E-coli in drinking water: 19.0%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 80%
White: 6%
Indigenous: 22%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 0%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 60%
Urban: 40%

El Oro

Population: 763,014
Annual births: 12,666
DCI < 2 yrs: 15.6%
Anemia 6-59 months: 40.3%
E-coli in drinking water: 40.4%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 82%
White: 5%
Indigenous: 2%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 15%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 55%
Urban: 45%

Esmeraldas

Population: 591,433
Annual births: 9,818
DCI < 2 yrs: 16.1%
Anemia 6-59 months: 57.9%
E-coli in drinking water: 40.3%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 44%
White: 3%
Indigenous: 1%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 52%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 55%
Urban: 45%

Guayas

Population: 4,689,527
Annual births: 77,846
DCI < 2 yrs: 14.4%
Anemia 6-59 months: 35.4%
E-coli in drinking water: 16.4%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 82%
White: 5%
Indigenous: 2%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 10%
Montubio: 1%
Rural: 22%
Urban: 78%

Los Ríos

Population: 959,546
Annual births: 15,928
DCI < 2 yrs: 23.2%
Anemia 6-59 months: 39.6%
E-coli in drinking water: 32.6%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 84%
White: 5%
Indigenous: 0%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 10%
Montubio: 1%
Rural: 55%
Urban: 45%

Manabí

Population: 1,700,738
Annual births: 28,233
DCI < 2 yrs: 29.8%
Anemia 6-59 months: 42.1%
E-coli in drinking water: 31.1%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 88%
White: 5%
Indigenous: 2%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 2%
Montubio: 4%
Rural: 46%
Urban: 54%

Santa Elena

Population: 411,873
Annual births: 6,837
DCI < 2 yrs: 15.6%
Anemia 6-59 months: 33.0%
E-coli in drinking water: 14.2%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 81%
White: 1%
Indigenous: 0%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 0%
Montubio: 18%
Rural: 0%
Urban: 100%

Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas

Population: 526,373
Annual births: 8,738
DCI < 2 yrs: 0.0%
Anemia 6-59 months: 30.5%
E-coli in drinking water: 27.2%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 81%
White: 2%
Indigenous: 8%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 7%
Montubio: 2%
Rural: 46%
Urban: 54%

Morona Santiago

Population: 205,553
Annual births: 3,412
DCI < 2 yrs: 20.1%
Anemia 6-59 months: 36.1%
E-coli in drinking water: 70.2%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 47%
White: 3%
Indigenous: 48%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 0%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 67%
Urban: 33%

Napo

Population: 140,598
Annual births: 2,334
DCI < 2 yrs: 16.1%
Anemia 6-59 months: 39.4%
E-coli in drinking water: 58.8%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 45%
White: 0%
Indigenous: 48%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 0%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 66%
Urban: 34%

Orellana

Population: 194,510
Annual births: 3,229
DCI < 2 yrs: 29.3%
Anemia 6-59 months: 39.3%
E-coli in drinking water: 67.8%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 58%
White: 0%
Indigenous: 32%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 10%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 59%
Urban: 41%

Pastaza

Population: 119,499
Annual births: 1,984
DCI < 2 yrs: 13.3%
Anemia 6-59 months: 33.4%
E-coli in drinking water: 56.9%
Stunting: 41.3%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 50%
White: 1%
Indigenous: 48%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 0%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 67%
Urban: 33%

Sucumbíos

Population: 225,701
Annual births: 3,747
DCI < 2 yrs: 18.6%
Anemia 6-59 months: 48.8%
E-coli in drinking water: 61.7%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 58%
White: 0%
Indigenous: 32%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 10%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 54%
Urban: 46%

Zamora Chinchipe

Population: 118,493
Annual births: 1,967
DCI < 2 yrs: 18.6%
Anemia 6-59 months: 33.6%
E-coli in drinking water: 0.0%
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 60%
White: 1%
Indigenous: 39%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 0%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 47%
Urban: 53%

Galápagos

Population: 30,520
Annual births: 507
DCI < 2 yrs: N/A
Anemia 6-59 months: N/A
E-coli in drinking water: N/A
Stunting: 23.2%
Ethnicity:
Mestizo: 75%
White: 10%
Indigenous: 1%
Afro-Ecuadorian: 10%
Montubio: 0%
Rural: 20%
Urban: 80%

Such a partnership could distribute the ‘future’ more evenly, making advanced healthcare, robust public health infrastructure, and environmental safety a reality for Ecuador. It’s about extending the reach of progress to every corner of the globe, ensuring that the benefits of innovation are shared by all, not just a privileged few. This is how we can truly say that the future has arrived for everyone.
Pillar 1
Combating Chronic
Infant Malnutrition
Pillar 2
Protecting human health
from chronic exposures to
heavy metals
Pillar 3
Ensuring early diagnosis
and management of those
with Sickle Cell Disease
Pillar 4

Bringing innovation in Newborn Screening, to identify over 500 treatable or manageable disorders, a significant leap forward from the current four disorders.

Strategic 

Collaborators

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Newborn Health

Currently, Ecuador screens for only a handful of disorders at birth. Bringing scientific know-how and technology could assist in expanding this program to include whole exome sequencing, potentially identifying over 500 treatable or manageable disorders. 

This would be a significant leap from the current four, offering a brighter future for newborns and their families.

Nutrition and Environmental Health

What is it that´s preventing our children from thriving? Beyond the best nutritional interventions, what other factors are impeding their growth? Our vision, our initiative, is to identify the underlying health issues, from genetic risk factors to unknown exposures, from environmental toxins to heavy metals, the hidden threat of aflatoxins, bacteria associated with poor growth, sickle cell disease, ova and parasites, micro and macro-nutrient deficiencies, and environmental enteropathies—a condition linked to chronic exposure to unsanitary environments, which impairs nutrient absorption and contributes to stunted growth and poor development. 

We will explore how these environmental factors, combined with nutritional deficiencies, create a vicious cycle that hampers children’s development and makes them more vulnerable to disease. We will then provide the necessary know-how and support to mitigate these risks, offering healthcare interventions to ensure a safer environment for the Ecuadorian people.