According to the World Health Organization, 38% of children under the age of 5 are chronically malnourished, and 54% suffer from anemia. This project educates and empowers Community Health Workers (CHWs) to serve as the official health educators and consultants for their communities. Our goal is to expand access to care and provide culturally appropriate education to improve poor health outcomes while simultaneously providing economic support for the health workers and their families.
Quechua-speaking populations in this High Andean region of Peru face geographic and cultural isolation and unreliable transportation options. Because villages are often hours away from the nearest health clinic, health access is low and preventable diseases are high. Additionally, economic and educational opportunities are scarce, especially for women.
Community Health Workers learn the importance of disease prevention and focus on topics such as diarrhea, respiratory infections, malnutrition, and learn basic first aid skills. They also conduct house visits that allow them to identify and monitor individuals who are at high risk for disease. By learning about the health issues that affect their communities, CHWs not only help eliminate the disparity in health access but also foster a sustainable health education model.
Because of you, 55 Community Health Workers and their families will receive educational and economic support, which opens up new opportunities to both themselves and the communities where they live. Your donation ensures improved health access, as well a decrease in preventable diseases. Economic support for CHWs means improved health outcomes for an entire village and provides an empowering opportunity for women.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
