FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 19^th, 2022

50 Members of Rural and Ethnic Communities are certified to be Community Healthcare Managers

RIOHACHA, COLOMBIA / NEW YORK, UNITED STATES

Malteser International Americas in alliance with IPSI Anashiwaya and the University of La Guajira, designed a Community Healthcare Managers program for 50 members from 20 Wayuu and Afro-Latino Communities from rural areas of the Riohacha District and the municipality of Manaure.

This program required 96 hours of attendance from the participants which focused on healthcare promotion, disease prevention; and epidemiological practices on collective care, healthcare technology tools, human rights and how to access the healthcare system for the migrant population and Colombian Refugees.

These twelves modules that were developed addressed the importance of breastfeeding, first aid, proper food handling practices, gender-based violence, and Temporary Protected Status.

Roberto Palacios, the Program Manager for ‘Social Dialogue for Healthcare Access in Rural and Ethnic Communities – MAP Salud’ with Malteser International Americas, explained that “This course covers one of the many objectives included in this program, which is trying to improve access to healthcare for rural and ethnic communities in La Guajira. It is important to consider the context of the highlighted communities which allow us to determine how to strengthen each of these communities.”

Mariluz Uribe, who is a Professor at the University of La Guajira, and lead of this program said “This course was well received by the participants, who attended over a two-month period. They viewed the course positively, and they now have the capacity to train and spread knowledge in their communities.”

Various participants excelled during the training process, afterwards they credited the program for training community leaders. Deivi Rodriguez, who is the leader of the Cactus Community and lives in Riohacha, on Valledupar commented “I invited all my fellow colleagues to work hand in hand on promoting the knowledge which was learned in these modules in our communities.”

Malteser International Americas has been operating in Colombia since 2014 in the departments of La Guajira and Magdalena. They have been bringing support to this vulnerable population through humanitarian programs and rural development. MAP Salud is one of these programs developed in La Guajira, it was made possible by donations from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.

Malteser International Americas is an affiliate of Malteser International and is the worldwide relief and development organization of the Sovereign Order of Malta. The organization provides aid to people in need in around 125 projects in 30 countries, regardless of their religion, origin or political convictions. Christian values and the humanitarian principles form the basis of its work. Further information: www.orderofmaltarelief.org 

Attention editors:

Roberto Palacios, Program Manager for MAP Salud is available for interview and sound bites

Press Contact:

Ilaria Ghelardoni, Communications and Marketing Manager (ilaria.ghelardoni@malteser-international.org)

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