Our Goals MC

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OUR GOALS

Medical Care

La Isla Foundation seeks to provide urgently needed medical care and health outreach for agricultural workers and their families in La Isla and Candelaria, the two communities in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua most devastated by the epidemic of CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease). These health care initiatives will not tackle many of the most important suspected causes of CKD, such as exposure to agricultural chemicals and other work conditions on agricultural plantations. However these projects will address other suspected factors in the disease's prevalence, such as poor health and diet, poverty, inadequate sanitation, and fear and apathy regarding medical treatment. Through this effort, we hope to begin to reduce the disease's prevalence and bring hope to the community that change is possible.

We will build on the prevalence study for CKD that we organized and funded with the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua-Leon (UNAN-León). We are developing a scaled up health program for La Isla and Candelaria, in coordination with Dr. Cesar Berrios Castro and a team of doctors from UNAN-León who are donating their time. Part of this effort involves the organization of health brigades to go door to door in the villages to provide health information and dispel people's fears regarding medical treatment.

Providing Urgent Medical Care and Community Outreach

EPIDEMIOLOGY

MEDICAL

CARE

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

To prepare the health brigades, we have teamed with psychologists at UNAN-León and conducted a comprehensive Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) study of the community with regard to health and nutrition. With funding from La Isla Foundation, the two-month-long KAP study was completed in the summer of 2009.

Working with Rotary International and Rotary Chinandega we are providing 58 latrines to families in the community that did not have one. This is a simple but important public health program will help limit the spread of preventable diseases in the community. For example, diarrhea is one of the leading causes of death among children. In combination with suitable latrines and public health brigades we will significantly lower the incidence of this disease.

Through these health and outreach initiatives, La Isla Foundation will take the first crucial step in stemming the CKD epidemic in Chichigalpa municipality -- attacking the poor health, fear, and apathy that leaves the community vulnerable to the ravages of the disease.