New ENLACE Doctor Continues Transformation on Cacahuatique Hill

ENLACE's new medical doctor, Dr. Blanco.In one of the poorest and most remote areas in El Salvador, the excitement of transformation continues to grow. Despite the fact that over 75 percent of the residents of Abelines and its surrounding area of Cacahuatique Hill live on less than a dollar a day, the region has improved profoundly over the past eight years. Due to the efforts of willing churches, and with the support of ENLACE staff and donors, this transformation has included initiatives such as potable water, latrines, improved stoves, electricity, nutrition programs, preventive health programs, walkways, housing, and the Fe y Esperanza health clinic. 

While much has been accomplished, there is still much work to be done. According to Zuleyma Blanco, a graduate from the Evangelical University of El Salvador and one of ENLACE’s newest staff members who spends her week at the Abelines clinic and in the surrounding area of Cacahuatique Hill, Abelines has been successful in addressing respiratory problems and other common illnesses, such as intestinal diseases. From 2004 to 2008, the infant mortality rate in Abelines dropped from 47 to two per thousand, among other improved health indicators. However, Dr. Blanco says that there is an ever-present need for preventive health initiatives, specialized drugs for hypertension and diabetes, and because children make up the majority of the population here, the urgent need for pediatric health care is especially important. The situation in the nearby areas of Pajigua and Moncagua is similar, as they are also areas strongly effected by the high incidence of preventable diseases brought about by contact with contaminated water. It is especially important to realize that despite these continued health challenges, this remote region does not have a government health promoter or local, government-sponsored medical clinic. 

Dr. Blanco giving medical assistance to a child in the community of Abelines. This is why local churches with ENLACE's help are filling the gap. There are 10 churches in the region actively working to transform their communities. Health committees spearheaded by the churches in Pajigua and Moncagua are helping to address the preventive and curative health issues and are working with Dr. Blanco as she travels into the more remote areas to see an average of 40 patients per week located all over Cacahuatique Hill. From the Fe y Esperanza clinic in Abelines proper, Dr. Blanco is helping to revitalize the local health committee and will continue to promote preventive health education in that area 

More can be done. More lives can be changed in a real and lasting way. If you'd like to help support community advisors, churches and Dr. Blanco's efforts in this region and other similar efforts in El Salvador, click here.