The San Juan de Dios Clinic and Juan Ciudad NGO completed a project this year that has benefited more than 2,139 people living in four settlements in the San Juan Bautista neighborhood of Iquitos, located in the Peruvian Amazon. This is a geographically isolated area where healthcare is scarce, and there was an urgent need to care for vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women and children under five.
For this reason, the NGO launched a community health project in January 2017, with funding from Juan Ciudad ONGD and the San Juan de Dios Foundation (Province of Castilla). In January 2019, a second phase began, financed by the Community of Madrid and the City Council of Esplugues de Llobregat.
The project was led, created, and designed by JCONGD and aligned with the priorities of the Peruvian State, which include nutrition and maternal and child health, as well as those of the Regional Government of Loreto, such as the fight against malaria, dengue, and HIV.
The intervention It lasted a total of 3 years, ending in March 2020., due to the arrival of the pandemic COVID-19, which forced the suspension of community health actions as a preventive measure for workers, volunteers, and beneficiaries.
However, during that time many results were achieved, such as the training of 15 Community Health Agents, which has been the key piece of the project, and who to this day continue to collaborate voluntarily with the families of the human settlements where they live.
For the training of these Community Health Agents, we had four health promoters, responsible for preparing the courses and materials taught, as well as monitoring the activities and statistical data collected. The team also included Jessica Cardama, the local project coordinator, members of Juan Ciudad NGO and the San Rafael-Nebrija University Center in Madrid, as well as staff from the San Juan de Dios Clinic and other local stakeholders from the Peruvian health authorities.
The project was born with the objective of promoting the right to health, and has served to facilitate access to health services in primary care, and to provide useful information to the population of the settlements with awareness campaigns, improving their living conditions in such essential aspects as safe food handling, drinking water, personal hygiene, early detection of infectious diseases in children under five years of age, and pregnancy monitoring and childbirth preparation for pregnant women.
On the one hand, priority was given to women in the process of pregnancy receive comprehensive health care, including prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal care, on a sustained basis. To achieve this, home visits and awareness campaigns on safe motherhood, breastfeeding guidelines, family planning, and the development of a birth plan were conducted.
In addition, at least three check-up visits during pregnancy were encouraged. Health Service Provider Institutions (IPRESS) of Quistococha and America, subsequently delivering a watering basket with basic products for the baby's first days. The "Mommy's Club" and "Healthy Bingo" were held periodically in the settlements, and through workshops, discussions, and film forums, they have made it possible to raise awareness about a wide range of topics, such as teenage pregnancy and the nutritional needs of pregnant women.
On the other hand, to improve the health of children under five years a registry was created to monitor detected cases of acute respiratory infections (IRAS), acute diarrheal diseases (EDAS) and vector-borne diseases (ETV). A total of 131 minors were identified with one of these conditions, which allowed for their monitoring and follow-up, ensuring they received appropriate care.
Workshops were also held to train mothers in caring for sick children, including temperature monitoring, preparation and use of oral saline, and advice on controlling drinking water.
To this we must add several campaigns to promote and disseminate the childhood vaccination, as well as visits to several schools, which have included the involvement of teachers. Within the framework of the domination âHealthy Schoolâ The nutrition and hygiene of the 523 participating students has been improved thanks to a local fruit competition, the installation of drinking fountains, and the promotion of handwashing and tooth brushing. These initiatives have been complemented by the San Juan de Dios Clinic's "Boca Sana" program, which provides care for children from low-income families.
As for the adult population, they were carried out Five health campaigns with staff from the San Juan de Dios Clinic and the participation of Community Health Agents, which included dental care, laboratory services, and on-demand consultations, including pediatrics and psychology.
In addition, in October 2019 Juan Ciudad ONGD and the San Juan de Dios Foundation delivered a telemedicine suitcase Created by Kerox Technology specifically for the Community Health project in Iquitos. This case, which includes a computer and software, has the necessary measuring devices to perform a situational diagnosis of the population, facilitating the collection of data on a series of parameters such as oxygen saturation, pulse, blood pressure, glucose, hematocrit and hemoglobin, and Zika.
Gonzalo Sales, director of Juan Ciudad ONGD, stated that "although this project concludes a cycle, Juan Ciudad NGO will continue to support and promote the exercise of the right to access to health in Iquitos. and human settlements." Furthermore, Community Health Agents are respected and valued members of their communities, and they continue to volunteer their time there. Therefore, during the coronavirus epidemic and lockdown, they are being supported by the San Juan de Dios Clinic and the NGO, so that their experience and commitment can continue.
By Adriana Castro, Communications Manager for Juan Ciudad NGO.
Source: Juan Ciudad Development Cooperation Project Department, NGO.
Photos: Juan Ciudad NGO.
