|
Human
Conditions in Nicaragua
-
45% of population lives
in extreme poverty
(less than $1/day)
(UNICEF, 2003)
-
40% unemployment and
underemployment (USAID
Fact Sheet, 2002)
-
71% of children do not
complete primary school
(UNICEF & UNESCO, 2003)
-
41% of rural population
does not have access to improved drinking water
( WHO & UNICEF
reports, 2000)
-
GNP per capita: $730
(UNICEF & World
Bank, 2003)
Labor Force by
occupation:
-
Agriculture: 42%
-
Industry: 15%
-
Services: 43%
(CIA World Factbook est. 1999)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
|
|
Health Statistics for
Nicaragua
•Child
Mortality 40
(deaths under
age 5, per 1,000)
•Maternal Mortality 230
(deaths per 100,000 live births)
• 20% of maternal mortality
are mothers under 19
•1/4 births are from
adolescent pregnancies
•45% of population is under
15 years of age
•1/3 children suffer from
chronic malnutrition
•Leading causes of death in
children:
acute diarrheal diseases
acute respiratory
infections
•Other communicable
diseases:
tuberculosis
malaria
cholera
dengue
(Statistics from WHO and
UNICEF, 2002-04)
Current Clinic
_________________________
Fieldwork
LIF’s fieldwork is headed by Beatriz Maradiaga who lives
in Managua. Beatriz has great teaching and training
experience and excellent people skills. LIF is working
with Beatriz to establish an advisory council in Managua
and a small committee in Ciudadela. She and the advisors
work with the committee in Ciudadela to further the
development process.
|
|
Ciudadela Health Clinic &
Education Facility
LIF is currently working
in the community of Ciudadela, Nicaragua. After
interviewing several families, community volunteers,
teachers, and medical staff, LIF learned that a new
health clinic is desperately needed. Land is already set
aside for a new clinic but because of scant resources,
the clinic has not been built.
Project Collaboration
and Management
LIF has committed to
provide the financial resources to build a new clinic
and will manage the project with the LIF country
director and a contractor. This project is carried out
in cooperation with the local municipal government, the
Ministry of Health (MINSA), and the community. MINSA
assigns medical personnel to the clinic, provides
medical equipment and basic medicines, and administers
its services.
Important benefits the new clinic offers include the
following:
-
Clean & inviting facility
-
Privacy during consultations and exams
-
Separation from those with contagious diseases
-
Fixed location (the clinic has changed location 3
times in two years)
-
Space for dental services
Illustration of New
Clinic
____________________________________________________________
Education Facility
LIF has also been granted
use of the property to build an education facility for
community meetings, classes, and training workshops. LIF
collaborates with MINSA to promote health-related
initiatives. These education workshop teach preventive
health measures, improve family nutrition, and
demonstrate self-reliance projects such as vegetable
gardens.
The objectives of this
health and education project include the following:
-
Increased prevention
of common diseases
-
Improvement in
mother/child health
-
Improved nutrition and
food variety in diet
-
Increased
participation in community health
initiatives/campaigns
-
Decrease in teenage
pregnancy
-
Decrease in community
health threats
|
