Asociación TulaSalud, ONG

What Asociación TulaSalud, ONG does

Asociación TulaSalud, ONG is a Guatemalan non-governmental organization constituted in February 2008 and headquartered in Cobán, Alta Verapaz, that builds and operates a community digital health ecosystem for rural, predominantly indigenous populations in Guatemala's altiplano. Its core platform, Kawok, is an offline-first Android application paired with a web-based dashboard (Kawok.net) that enables auxiliary nurses, technical territory assistants, and comadronas to register clinical data on pregnant women, postpartum women, and children under five, run community epidemiological surveillance, and feed situational-room analysis for health authorities. Around Kawok, TulaSalud operates a portfolio of complementary programs: Ecografía Móvil Obstétrica (Embarazo Saludable) for portable obstetric ultrasound, BabyChecker AI-powered prenatal screening (in partnership with Delft Imaging and EHAS), Ecografía Pulmonar for pediatric respiratory infection diagnosis, DHIS2-backed cervical cancer screening, the 24/7 Conectando Salud teleconsultation hotline, a Moodle-based tele-education campus spanning 107 training sites, and adolescent-focused digital safe spaces and Motivación Juvenil video content.

The organization is funded entirely through international development cooperation grants and operates as a technical-assistance counterpart to Guatemala's Ministry of Health (MSPAS), embedding its tools into national health structures across Alta Verapaz, Quiché, Huehuetenango, and Sololá. Major funders include the Government of Canada (via ACDI/Global Affairs Canada), AECID, Comunidad de Madrid, the European Union (through PAHO/WHO), and Data.FI/Palladium (USAID). With 33 employees and a network of 4,362 active MSPAS health personnel users serving an estimated 3.4 million beneficiaries across 6,600+ communities, TulaSalud functions as a specialized digital-health implementation NGO rather than a commercial technology vendor, monetizing exclusively via multi-year project-based grants and government cooperation agreements.

Name

Asociación TulaSalud, ONG

Legal name

Asociación TulaSalud, ONG

Website

https://tulasalud.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Asociación TulaSalud is a Guatemalan NGO that operates the Kawok digital health ecosystem — mobile + web tools for community surveillance, teleconsultation, tele-education, and mobile ultrasound — serving rural indigenous populations in 4 Guatemalan departments through partnership with MSPAS and international development funders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Digital Health

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Maternal & Neonatal Remote Monitoring Platforms (HLACAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual Care Team Collaboration & Provider-to-Provider Teleconsult Platforms (eConsults) (HLALABAI), Pregnancy & Prenatal Care Telehealth (OB tele-visits, prenatal monitoring) (HLALAHAC), Contraception & Family Planning Telehealth (birth control, counseling, follow-up) (HLALAHAB)

Keywords

• Community digital health
• Mobile health surveillance
• Epidemiological monitoring systems
• Tele-education health
• Maternal child health

Headquarters

HQ city

Cobán

HQ country

Guatemala

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. International Development Cooperation / Grants: TulaSalud operates as an NGO funded primarily through international development cooperation grants. Major funders include the Government of Canada (through ACDI/Canadian cooperation agencies), the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the Madrid Community, and the European Union. Additional funders include Data.FI/Palladium Group supporting health information systems and the Government of Canada supporting adolescent empowerment projects. These are multi-year project-based grants targeting specific health outcomes in rural Guatemala.
2. Technical Support to Ministry of Health (MSPAS): TulaSalud provides technical assistance, training, and health digital tools to MSPAS at national and departmental levels under formal cooperation agreements. The organization co-implements public health programs alongside government health authorities in Alta Verapaz, Quiché, Huehuetenango, and Sololá.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Asociación TulaSalud, ONG operates an integrated community digital health ecosystem — anchored by the Kawok mobile and web platform — that delivers epidemiological surveillance, mobile obstetric and lung ultrasound screening, AI-assisted prenatal imaging (BabyChecker), cervical cancer screening via DHIS2, tele-education through a Moodle-based virtual campus, a 24/7 telephone teleconsultation hotline (Conectando Salud), and adolescent sexual and reproductive health services (Espacios Digitales Seguros and Motivación Juvenil). Programs are co-implemented with Guatemala's Ministry of Public Health (MSPAS) across 98 health districts in Alta Verapaz, Quiché, Huehuetenango, and Sololá, reaching approximately 3.4 million people in rural indigenous communities.

Product overview

TulaSalud operates as a community digital health NGO offering an integrated ecosystem of health technology products centered on the Kawok platform. Kawok is a dual-component system comprising an Android mobile application and a web-based data visualization platform (Kawok.net) that together enable community epidemiological surveillance, clinical data collection, and evidence-based decision-making across rural health networks. Complementing Kawok, the portfolio includes specialized mobile ultrasound services (Ecografía Móvil Obstétrica, Baby Checker with AI-powered prenatal screening, and Ecografía Pulmonar for respiratory infections), a cervical cancer screening program using HPV testing and DHIS2, the Conectando Salud teleconsultation helpline, a Moodle-based virtual campus (Campus Virtual) for multi-modal tele-education, and adolescent-focused digital strategies (Motivación Juvenil video content and Espacios Digitales Seguros for adolescent health). All products share a community health focus, prioritizing maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent populations in rural Guatemala, and are coordinated with Guatemala's Ministry of Health (MSPAS) across Alta Verapaz, Quiché, Huehuetenango, and Sololá.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kawok Ecosystem A community digital health ecosystem comprising an Android mobile application and a web platform (Kawok.net / data.kawok.net) that together enable auxiliary nurses and health volunteers to digitally register clinical data of pregnant women, postpartum women, and children under 5, with offline data capture and cloud synchronization for epidemiological surveillance and decision-making across health service levels.
• Conectando Salud A free 24/7 telephone teleconsultation and referral hotline connecting rural populations, community leaders, and traditional midwives (comadronas) with health services, with support in local languages; covers the districts of La Tinta, Senahú, Tucurú, Telemán, and Panzós.
• Campus Virtual TulaSalud (Moodle) A virtual campus built on the Moodle learning management system delivering tele-education and training to health personnel via e-learning, blended learning, microlearning, webinar, and in-person modalities, reaching 107 training sites across four Guatemalan departments.
• Ecografía Móvil Obstétrica (Embarazo Saludable) Mobile obstetric ultrasound program deploying portable ultrasound devices operated by trained health personnel in rural communities to detect high-risk pregnancies early and refer patients to hospitals; documented 35% reduction in maternal and neonatal mortality and served 21,000+ rural women.
• BabyChecker (AI Prenatal Ultrasound) AI-powered prenatal ultrasound screening solution developed by Delft Imaging, implemented in partnership with EHAS and TulaSalud, that analyzes portable ultrasound images using computer vision to determine gestational age, fetal presentation, and placenta location, returning a risk evaluation via a visual traffic-light system within approximately two minutes.
• Ecografía Pulmonar (Lung Ultrasound) Mobile lung ultrasound initiative deploying portable, low-cost ultrasound equipment in rural health centers to strengthen early diagnosis of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) and pneumonia, particularly in children under 5, supported remotely by radiology specialists.
• Cervical Cancer Screening Program Cervical cancer prevention and early detection program using HPV DNA self-sampling, visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) triage, and thermocoagulation treatment in rural zones of Alta Verapaz, with a DHIS2 digital system ensuring confidentiality and anonymity of patient records across seven health districts.
• Espacios Digitales Seguros para Adolescentes Digital safe spaces (hotline, real-time chat support, and interactive dashboards) staffed by specialized health professionals providing adolescents with reliable information, professional guidance, and access to sexual and reproductive health services, contraceptive methods, and adolescent-friendly health services.
• Motivación Juvenil Youth engagement strategy in which adolescents themselves produce and star in educational videos about sexual and reproductive health, distributed via YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to reach peers with culturally appropriate, youth-friendly information.
• Sala Situacional Comunitaria Participatory community-level health analysis tool within the Kawok ecosystem that brings together community health workers, leaders, and health personnel to analyze local health data using visual dashboards, identify priority problems, and develop coordinated action plans.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35% reduction in maternal and neonatal mortality demonstrated by the Embarazo Saludable project since 2012 (serving 21,000+ women)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability8 records

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Delft ImagingmajorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Dutch medical technology company that developed BabyChecker, an AI-powered ultrasound screening solution. Delft Imaging partnered with EHAS and TulaSalud to deploy BabyChecker in Guatemala (Santa Eulalia, Huehuetenango). TulaSalud trains auxiliary nurses to use portable ultrasound devices; Delft's AI analyzes images and generates risk assessments via a traffic-light system.
• Data.FI (Palladium Group)majorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020Global health information systems project funded by USAID, helping countries strengthen health data systems for HIV tracking, emerging health threats, and integrated digital health solutions. Data.FI supports TulaSalud's digital health infrastructure and data integration capabilities, aligning with global health data standards and contributing to health system optimization in Guatemala.
• Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social (MSPAS) GuatemalacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government counterpart for all TulaSalud programs. MSPAS provides institutional legitimacy, health personnel, health infrastructure (health posts, districts, hospitals), and policy alignment. TulaSalud provides technical assistance, digital tools, and training within MSPAS structures. MSPAS has incorporated Kawok into its national institutional strengthening strategy. The partnership spans 4 departments (Alta Verapaz, Quiché, Huehuetenango, Sololá) through DDRISS, Area de Salud, and District Municipal Health offices.
• EHAS (Enlace Hispano Americano de Salud)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish foundation specializing in health ICT for rural and isolated areas of developing countries. TulaSalud partners with EHAS on mobile ultrasound programs (Embarazo Saludable for obstetric ultrasound, lung ultrasound for respiratory infections) and health information systems. EHAS developed BabyChecker AI ultrasound in partnership with Delft Imaging, implemented by TulaSalud in Guatemala. Joint projects have received funding support from AECID and the Madrid Community.
• EPSUM (Ejercicio Profesional Supramultidisciplinario, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSAC's professional practice program that deploys multidisciplinary teams of scholars to Guatemala's 55 highest-poverty municipalities. EPSUM provides clinical and community health services in underserved areas, complementing TulaSalud's digital health tools with on-the-ground health personnel and community engagement.
• UNFPA Guatemala (Fondo de Población de las Naciones Unidas)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN agency for sexual and reproductive health. UNFPA contributes through the Transformando Realidades forums (jointly organized), provides demographic and SRHR data (Bono Demográfico analysis, ASP 2025), and technical expertise in adolescent SRHR. Supports the PLANEA national adolescent pregnancy prevention plan and provides epidemiological analysis informing TulaSalud's adolescent health programs.
• OPS/OMS Guatemala (Pan American Health Organization / WHO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAHO/WHO supports TulaSalud's primary healthcare strengthening through the project 'Apoyo al MSPAS en la Estrategia de Atención Primaria en Salud para Combatir la Desnutrición Crónica en Guatemala', funded by the European Union. PAHO works with MSPAS and TulaSalud on community health worker training (1,245+ auxiliary nurses trained in Family and Community Health) in 4 departments.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• PATH: PATH is a large global health innovation organization that develops and deploys health technologies, digital tools, and service delivery models across LMICs. It overlaps with TulaSalud on maternal-child health innovation, community health worker support, and digital health deployments in low-resource settings.
• Data.FI (Palladium Group): Data.FI is a USAID-funded global health information systems project led by Palladium that supports countries in strengthening health data systems for HIV, emerging threats, and integrated digital health. It is both a TulaSalud partner and a broader incumbent operating in the same digital health data infrastructure space.

Direct peers

• Medic (formerly Medic Mobile): Medic builds an open-source mobile health platform used by community health workers in 20+ countries for patient registration, decision support, and care coordination. Its community health worker digital toolkit directly parallels TulaSalud's Kawok ecosystem in functionality and target population.
• Last Mile Health: Last Mile Health builds and supports community health worker networks in remote areas of Liberia and other African countries, combining training, digital tools, and government partnership. It mirrors TulaSalud's model of empowering auxiliary nurses with digital tools to deliver maternal-child health services in geographically isolated communities.
• Living Goods: Living Goods supports community health workers in East Africa with mobile tools, training, and supply chain support to deliver health products and services door-to-door. Its digitally-enabled CHW model is structurally similar to TulaSalud's Kawok-equipped auxiliary nurses in rural Guatemala.
• Dimagi (CommCare): Dimagi builds CommCare, one of the most widely deployed open-source mobile data collection and community health worker platforms globally. Like TulaSalud's Kawok, CommCare is used by frontline health workers in low-resource settings to register patients, support clinical workflows, and feed data into dashboards — the same core digital health worker model TulaSalud operates in Guatemala.
• EHAS (Enlace Hispano Americano de Salud): EHAS is a Spanish foundation specializing in health ICT for rural and isolated areas of Latin America and Africa, with a focus on telemedicine, mobile ultrasound, and health information systems. EHAS is an explicit TulaSalud partner on BabyChecker and lung ultrasound programs, making it both a peer and a co-developer.

Emerging players

• noa (formerly known as Africa Health Organisation / mDoc): mDoc is a digital health company providing virtual care and self-management tools for chronic disease and maternal health in Africa. It overlaps with TulaSalud on the digital-first health worker and patient enablement model, though it operates in a different geography and a more commercial/clinical setting.

Others

• UNICEF Health Programme: UNICEF funds and implements maternal, child, and adolescent health programs globally, including in indigenous and rural communities across Latin America. It is not a direct competitor but an adjacent ecosystem actor whose priorities and funding intersect with TulaSalud's mission.
• ChildFund International: ChildFund is an international NGO that supports child and maternal health, education, and protection in remote communities across Latin America, including Guatemala. It operates in many of the same geographies and beneficiary populations as TulaSalud, though with a broader social-services rather than digital-health focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tulasalud
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TulaSalud
• Facebookfacebook.com/100064731034190
• Instagraminstagram.com/tulasalud
• TikToktiktok.com/@tulasalud
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tulasalud

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Asociación TulaSalud, ONG