Health projects have been a core  program of HELP International. since its inception in 1999. Many of our volunteers come with public health backgrounds and are able to work with local NGO's, hospitals, and clinics to develop and support programs based upon the specific needs of the people. We teach basic health classes in disease prevention, nutrition, sanitation, and hygiene. We partner with in-country health care professionals so volunteers can gain hands-on experience administering health-related services.

Handwashing

In 2008 one of our volunteers, Nicole Luscher, started a hand-washing project in Guatemala. She initiated the project as a part of research she was doing for a class at Brigham Young University. With the help of local partners, Nicole and the other volunteers went to remote villiages and taught the importance of hand-washing. As a part of this effort, they  also worked with mothers to create hand-washing stations in their homes.

Support for people with HIV/AIDS

In Uganda, we taught 9 HIV-positive individuals tactics for keeping themselves healthy with a damaged immune system. We also taught them community mobilization skills, which they used to start support groups in their own communities. This brought services to AIDS-affected villagers who otherwise would not recieve help, because they live too far from the hospital. It also brought a sense of empowerment and purpose to those who we mentored to create the support groups. This project was initiated by Ashley Ward, a public health intern from Utah Valley University.

Dengue prevention

In El Salvador, the Ministry of Health has started a campaign to educate people about the causes and dangers of dengue. HELP volunteers were able to participate in several ways. As a group, they helped to prepare abate packets to be put in water to deter the growth of mosquito larvae. They then had the opportunity to go door to door visiting with members of different poor communities about their dengue knowledge. They conducted a short survey to see how much the people knew and explained to them how they can stop the spread of dengue. The residents showed the volunteers how they store water and how they use it. Volunteers made sure the locals understood to keep stored water covered and to keep their pilas (big sinks) clean. They are then given the abate to put in the water to kill any potential mosquito larvae.

Hospital and clinic work

Our volunteers with medical experience or interest in medicine often volunteer at health clinics and hospitals. This service is desperately needed and greatly appreciated by the under-staffed and resource-poor health facilities. While there, we are involved in a variety of projects including: assiting nurses and other staff, holding health seminars, and creating counseling programs to help individuals cope with disease.