Ongoing health education is provided based on the individual needs of the family. The needs in Montero seem very great. The open market is littered with garbage and stagnant water. Dogs roam freely amidst the insect-covered meat carcasses hanging in the hot sun. As we drive through the developing barrientos we see clearly the lack of basic sanitation.
Many homes have no plumbing or water.
Animals an children live together on tiny plots of land. Yet amidst this overwhelming public health challenge, there is a sense of hope in this community. The Andrean Rural Health Care Center in Montero and its dedicated staff are like a shining beacon of hope. Progress is being made and lives are being changed. I think back to our first days in Cochabamba where we were privileged to meet with the Itinerant Team for the Promotion of Integral Health in Latin America and the Caribbean.