Public Health
“There is no human endeavor that is outside the realm of public health”
- William “Bill” Foege
The Challenge
In rural Peru, proper medical attention is not guaranteed. In Talara, medical posts have enough equipment, but are understaffed and in dire need of support. In times of climate crisis, tropical diseases proliferate, and the lack of water increasingly affects public health. The population needs trained hands, not only to attend when problems have arisen, but to share knowledge regarding basic prevention. Through medical campaigns, communication strategies and their presence in the medical institutions, EcoSwell interns help mitigate these issues and build resilience.
The Facts
In 2017, the year in which the El Niño phenomenon struck in Peru, Piura had 44275 reported cases of dengue, the highest number of any region in Peru (total number 68,290 - Piura had 64% of the cases in the country).
At the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis in Peru, in March 2020, the country had only 270 mechanical respirators available.
379 patients treated in the Lobitos Smiles dental campaigns
Potential Solutions
A global network for local impact. Working jointly with our UK Medical Doctors, the Talara Hospital and the Lobitos Medical Post, we have implemented the EcoSwell Medical Electives/Volunteer program. As part of this, medical students and/or professionals will get experience in a community based medical post and in a semi-rural hospital, supporting the understaffed hospital in Talara and in the town of Lobitos. The following specialities are available: Respiratory, Pediatrics, Gynecology, Dermatology, Dentistry, General Practice, Infections and activities related to basic plastic & reconstructive surgery.
Our Initiatives
As part of this placement, with the support of the EcoSwell team, volunteers will also implement public health educational initiatives in Lobitos for the local population in relation to the following challenges identified: skin cancer, sexual education for teenagers, birth control, sanitation, prevention of viruses (flu, zika, dengue, chikungunya), amongst others.
Volunteers will be supported by the EcoSwell team, members of the Lobitos Medical Post and Doctors from Talara’s hospital, who will act as supervisors. Volunteers will need to spend at least 4 weeks with us, time in which they will spend half of their placement in Talara helping at the hospital under the supervision of a local doctor and the second half, carrying out the public health educational initiatives in Lobitos.
For candidates wishing to volunteer at both, the Medical Post of Lobitos and the Hospital in Talara, we require they have at least a good level of Spanish (GCSE or higher), and for them to be in their clinical years of their medical degree. Candidates that have a basic level of Spanish will still be able to join us. These candidates will volunteer exclusively at the Lobitos Medical Post. Good team working skills, an urge to have a positive impact, an open mind, positiveness and adaptability will be essential traits of the right candidates.
One of the most successful campaigns hosted by EcoSwell were the Lobitos Smiles campaigns held in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Dentistry students from Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC) came to Lobitos to perform dental diagnosis, restorations, tooth extractions, prophylaxis, application of sealants and fluoride on children and adults of the community.
