Location: Medio Atrato region

Situation:

The indigenous and rural populations of Colombia are indirect victims of the armed conflict between armed groups like FARC and ELN and the national army which has been going on since the 1960s. These groups also live below the poverty line. Since 2003, DoW UK has been striving to tackle the poor access to health services which affects this population already suffering because of the conflict.


Activities:

To tackle the diseases that are common in this area, Doctors of the World UK (DoW UK) has organised mobile river teams (brigades) to provide medical care and has trained community health workers. This approach also enables us to monitor women of reproductive age and young children.
With the goal of developing traditional medicine, DoW UK is working with the jaibanas (healers) to try and increase the status of plant-based medicine and the production of family vegetable gardens.

Outlook:

DoW UK aims to improve the communities' capacity to deal with common health problems. We also aim to get the local authorities to introduce long-term health services in these rural areas. DoW UK is also working to disseminate ancient knowledge on the use of indigenous and Afro-Colombian medicinal plants.