Sistemas Integrales collaborated in assessing a multinational initiative aimed at reducing health inequalities in Central America. The Mesoamerica Health Initiative, which focused on improving reproductive, maternal and neonatal health among the poorest 20% population of eight countries, deployed a range of mechanisms including financial incentives.

To evaluate the impact of these incentives, women and pre-school children were surveyed on a rolling timetable from 2011 to 2015 in each of the participating countries: Belize, Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.

• Since the health programs were delivered differently in each country, the questionnaires and data-entry programs were tailored for each of the eight countries. Also, since one institution was responsible for sampling, questionnaire design and data evaluation, while another was in charge of fieldwork, Sistemas Integrales was brought in to harmonize all these aspects and to ensure the scientific rigor of the study.
• The assistance included overcoming the fact that many women in Central America usually work away from home for one or two weeks at a time and, therefore, selected women were often absent at the time of the interviewer’s visit. In response, fieldwork organization was modified to allow sufficient time for interviews in each cluster.