How can people-focused community development create holistic, long-term change?
Policlinico Maria Madre de las Misiones: Working for over 25 years with Father Alexander “Alex” Busuttil and the Mission of Alto Cayma (on the outskirts of Arequipa, the second largest city in Perú), we have developed a network of connections, partners, and resources that empower change agents to build model community outreach and development.
In March 2023, the new community clinic opened in Alto Cayma. The new clinic – our Center of Excellence in Community Healthcare – has finally opened iafter over 3-years of planning and fundraising. Father Alex Busuttil and the Missionary Society of St. Paul have worked tirelessly over the past 18-months to build a state-of-the-art community health center. Check out this video for an update: The New Alto Cayma Health Center
Our efforts are ever-evolving and diverse, with past projects including:
- Training a team of community health workers
- Planning medical and nursing trainings, seminars, and conferences and implementing with private and public clinics
- Building a specialized treatment facility for TB patients
- Leading community development planning sessions with stakeholders from multidisciplinary fields
- Conducting community-based participatory public health research
- Supporting the development and facilitation of a community health and wellness program model
Esperanza y Salud: Starting in 2024, HBI is proud to partner with Esperanza y Salud in Arequipa, Peru and their Physical Therapy Program.
The objective of the Physical Therapy Program at Esperanza y Salud is to provide adequate physical rehabilitation services for patients to improve and restore their mobility, thus improving their quality of life and that of their families, favoring their physical, emotional and psychological state.
The program is focused on the attention of children who require continuous therapies at an affordable cost, in this way we can achieve their optimal development. Currently the program manages about 180 patients who rotate in various services and provide between 900 to 1000 monthly visits in the areas of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Psychomotricity, Orthotics Workshop and Wheelchair Workshop, services that are limited in the city of Arequipa.
Although physical therapy is essential to restore mobility, it is only one of the many elements necessary to achieve a complete rehabilitation; also essential are mobility devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, orthotics, among others, which is provided through arrangements with strategic partners and organizations.
Anemia Prevention and Treatment Project: One of the most successful past programs was the Anemia Prevention and Treatment Project, which involved agencies, organizations, and community change agents to address one of the biggest public health challenges in Perú: iron deficiency.
The Project was fully grounded in community participation and support, with collaborators from across the health sector: a medical device manufacturer in the UK, an innovative dietary supplement company in Canada, a non-governmental organization in the U.S. and Perú, the Catholic Church, and the Peruvian Ministry of Health.
Impact
406
children enrolled through collaboration with 9 Peruvian and international partners
79.3%
of those enrolled in a study saw resolution of anemia
90.5%
of enrolled children did not progress to anemia during the 12-month period
Meet Rosa and Dario.
Rosa* was four months pregnant, working full time, and caring for her almost 2-year-old son, Dario*, who was diagnosed with anemia. Unfortunately, Dario didn’t like the taste of the iron sulfate he had to take. He would spit it out and lose his appetite during meals.
When Rosa saw a local church announcement about an anemia project for pregnant women and children under 3, she was thrilled. The project included follow-up visits arranged according to her schedule and the opportunity to ask health care professionals about her specific situation. Rosa and Dario were not only tested, but they also received iron supplementation and nutritional educational training based on foods available in her local market.
Rosa learned iron-rich recipes and the importance of micronutrients in the absorption of iron. After one year in the project, Rosa and Dario had normal hemoglobin levels and, most importantly, her new baby girl was born without anemia.
*Names changed to maintain privacy
What’s Ahead
In March 2020, the goal of the project was achieved: we helped build a clear model that is being replicated around Perú and the Andean region to better support anemia prevention and treatment. We will continue to implement the project and aim to reach more vulnerable populations.
Have questions about the Arequipa and Alto Cayma Community Collaboration?
Please get in touch with Srta. Karen: karen@hbint.org
