saludjuntos.orgHonduras Updates
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Come hear about Salud Juntos’ latest programs and initiatives at a benefit reception in a lovely Seattle home. For more information visit our online evite , email rsvp@saludjuntos.com or call 206-330-5967. We look forward to seeing you in August, however, if you are unable to attend but still wish to help with the Salud Juntos programs you can contribute online at www.saludjuntos.org.
The Honduran Women’s Health & Visual Inspection of the Cervix Using Acetic Acid (VIA) Program is underway!
On 7th, gynecologists/obstetricians Pamela Lotke and Ilana Addis 
initiated a “see and treat” cervical cancer screening program in the La Guacamaya Clinic with a gallon of vinegar and a loaner Cryotherapy gun. The VIA program has a dual role: in a single visit to perform a visual inspection of the cervix using acetic acid (vinegar) followed by treatment (if indicated) using cryotherapy, and to train Honduran Health Workers such as auxiliary nurses to perform this method of cervical cancer screening in their communities. Currently the “La Guac” clinic and Salud Juntos employ two such health workers: Suttyalin Caballero and Norma Murilla. Both auxiliary nurses working alongside their expert mentors, Pam and Ilana, saw a total of 80 patients in four days. Norma and Suttyalin began their training process for VIA and assisted with approximately half of these patients in between their normal duties of providing basic health care, patient advocacy and education. Training, assessment and evaluation will continue as the VIA program model is implemented and refined in La Guacamaya. Stayed tuned our return visit is planned for December 2010/January 2011.
The long-awaited road to clean streets and healthy lungs in Punta Ocote has officially begun! With three pleasantly and surprisingly enthusiastic meetings with the town council this week and a memorable, torrentially rainy afternoon spent converting oil barrels into trash receptacles, I think it is safe to say that Punta Ocote is quickly headed toward a future without burning trash littering (poor pun intended) its streets. I am looking forward to accompanying the promotoras next week when they begin the first round of trash charlas at the schools and churches to better explain the numerous health and community benefits of safe waste management.
The majority of children have several visible cavities in their molars and rotting teeth throughout their mouth. The 
children are excited to be receiving the toothbrush and toothpaste and have been very willing to apply the fluoride treatment. A fee of 10 Lempiras (50 cents) is asked from each student to cover the expenses of the toothbrushes, toothpaste, and fluoride. If for any reason the child is unable to pay they can still receive everything but the fee serves to ensure the longevity of the program. Every six months the promotoras will go back to visit the schools and continue the program. We have also begun to work with the government appointed dentist from La Guacamaya who showed us the charla she has been giving the kids. The promotoras will now provide information about flossing, how cavities are formed, and more general information about the anatomy of the mouth.”
After the vision clinic was done in La Guacamaya, we had a lot of leftover artificial tears, allergy drops, and glasses that Dr. Twelker had brought down for the clinic in La Guacamaya. Therefore, we decided to carry pilot brigades in two communities near Punta Ocote, El Ocotal Caido and Coco Guare. Those two aldeas were chosen to improve ocular health in more remote locations. In the two communities, we saw a total a 25 patients in a matter of a few hours, giving them much needed reading glasses, sunglasses, and drops.
With the training I received in Tucson, which is similar to training for promotoras, I am able to correct people’s visual acuities by giving them reading glasses, and check basic eye health (cataracts, pterygium, dry eyes, allergies, etc). The people with other eye problems are referred to the clinic in Progresso or to the vision brigade that will take place in January. This eye program provides basic eye care for many people without an optometrist being present. In the long run, we think we can train promotoras locally so that they could provide this kind of care. This is a very exciting project for the future as it would make the program sustainable and very effective.
Submitted by Marion Robine
Marc Seligson will be a senior in Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University in Fall 2010. This summer he will be completing my Global Health minor field experience in Yoro, Honduras. Follow him on his blog!
Posted for Marion Robine-Sonrisas Saludables Dental Program:
For the past two days we have been continuing the dental project that was begun two years ago in La Guacamay and last year in Punta Oocte. We began with the school in Punta, and visited two first grade classes, a third grade, and a fifth grade in the morning and the kinder, seventh grade, second and sixth graders in the afternoon. Hannah and I gave the charlas to the kids in the morning and passed it on to the promotoras, Cristina and Flor, later in the day. Dale and Robin came with us and played to guitar for our dental song, which the kids proceeded the sing for the remaining of the day. As we did last year, we gave out toothbrushes and toothpaste to every kid who was in school that day. This year though, we also applied varnish on every kid, which is no easy task when one has no tray or real way to dry the students´ teeth. We still managed to get everyone. It was much easier the secong day when we all knew what to expect and knew how to line up to be as efficient as possible: one of us would put the toothpaste, one washed the toothbrushes out, another dried the kids´ teeth before applying the fluride gel, one gave out the gel, and the last one washed the toothbrush before sending the kids back to class. So far we have done the big school in Punta, and the schools in La Puerta and La Adelina. The promotoras will cover another aldea tomorrow and we will continue with then next week to finish the rest of the aldeas.
Click the link below to open the premiere edition of the Salud Juntos newsletter. h4>
The Cornell University arrived on 6/4 and will be here for a full month working on community health programs in Punta Ocote. After spending the first few days getting their feet on the ground they will work specifically on the Sonrisas Saludables school dental program, a community nutrition program, and forming a walking group to complement our already developing chronic disease programs. More updates to come on these!
This is a great article from the Boston Globe which clearly explains the burden of chronic disease on developing countries like Honduras and why hypertension management programs like ours are important and exciting!!