Salesian missionaries provide follow-up medical assessments

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are supporting Indigenous people living on the Amazon border between Ecuador and Peru who face marginalization and lack access to medical care. Through the Salesian Province of Ecuador and its planning and development office, Salesians were able to provide the local residents with support and follow-up medical assessments.

In March, Salesian staff and doctors visited patients who had previously received treatment and medication, and they assessed the patients’ health status. Doctors also saw new patients who needed medical care. About 400 people were helped. In September 2023, Salesians and medical staff had provided medical treatment to 200 patients from the Achuar communities of Saapapentsa, Anentak, Mamantsa, Musap, Karakam, and Setuch in Ecuador, and Yankuntich, Kuna, and Chayat in Peru.

A Salesian explained, “We want to thank all of those who helped up provide this medical care. These health visits were by the Salesian Community of Wasakentsa and the Ministry of Health of Ecuador, through four medical assistants in the area and Dr. Carlos Tovar, a doctor specializing in tropical diseases, who speaks Achuar, and the University of the Americas. We are grateful to all the benefactors of the Salesian Family, the Achuar authorities and the medical staff for what they have done for this mission.”

In additional to medical care for Indigenous populations, Salesians provide social development and educational programs across Ecuador to help poor youth gain an education and the skills for later employment. The skills they learn ensure they are able to care for themselves and their families while being contributing members of their communities.

Ecuador is one of the most inequitable societies in the world, according to UNICEF. The richest 20% of the population receives almost 50% of the national income, while the poorest 20% receives only 5%. According to the World Food Program, almost 26% of all children under age 5 have stunted growth, increasing to 31% in rural areas and 47% in Indigenous communities.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS) 

ANS – Ecuador – Salesian commitment to the health of indigenous peoples on the border with Peru

Salesian Missions – Ecuador

UNICEF – Ecuador