El Apintal, Choluteca

  • Overview
  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Engineering
  • Water
  • Business
  • Public Health

Overview

El Apintal is located within the municipality of Choluteca in the department of Choluteca in southern Honduras. Children in the community have access to primary school. There is a gravity water system currently in place. Most of the community members work in agriculture and in milk and cheese production. The top needs expressed by El Apintal’s inhabitants during their initial communications with Global Brigades include a water system renovation, Public Health infrastructure, and Medical Brigades.

Municipality: Choluteca
Department: Choluteca

Homes : 143
Population : 600
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : No
Electricity : Yes
Health Center : No
Community Health Workers : No
Homes with Latrines : 14%
Education : Up to 6th grade
Distance from Lodging Facility : 47 km

Medical

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

HEALTH CARE ACCESS

The Honduran government provides two different types of health centers throughout rural Honduras: Centros de Salud Médico Odontológico (CESAMOs) and Centros de Salud Rural (CESARs). CESAMOs are the larger of the two, often found in municipalities, and typically have at least one physician on staff at all times with nurses and potentially a dentist. CESARs are found sporadically in rural communities and generally have a single nurse available. Even with this coverage, it is important to note that medications, supplies, and materials are often not available in these health centers and the physician density in Honduras remains around 1,220 people for every one doctor. According to the World Health Organization, there should be a maximum of 435 people per physician to qualify a country as having adequate access to medical attention.

El Apintal mentioned in their original communications with Global Brigades that one of their top needs was medical attention. The most common illnesses reported by community members in El Apintal are respiratory infections, diarrhea, anemia, hypertension, and sight problems.

110

Volunteers

2,699

Patient Consultations

N/A

Vision Screenings Provided

55

Health Education Workshops

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

The community of El Apintal does not yet have Community Health Workers. Global Brigades Honduras’ Medical Program is working diligently to train volunteers as CHWs in its partner communities as part of the Holistic Model. El Apintal will receive training as soon as possible to further support the health of its community members.

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Community members in El Apintal attend Medical and Dental Brigade clinics hosted in El Apintal’s school building. The various stations of the clinic are held in the school’s 5 classrooms. Doctors are able to spend an average of ten minutes with each patient. Each day of the brigade, an average of 13 educational charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 756
NEARBY COMMUNITIES: Cofradia, El Jocote, El Limon, Las Uvas, San Martin, Las Cañas

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN EL APINTAL

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
King’s College London Medical Brigade& Philadelphia University Medical Brigade & Philadelphia University Physician Assistants Medical Brigade July 2015 28 University of Ottawa Medical Brigade August 2016 19
University of Alabama Medical Brigade & North Carolina State University Medical Brigade May 2018 29 Rutgers University Medical Brigade and Syracuse Area Medical Medical Brigade January 2019 34
Syracuse  Area Medical January 2019 34

Dental

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

DENTAL CARE ACCESS

Working closely with the Medical Program, the Dental Program provides fillings, extractions, and fluoride treatments as a standard part of Medical Brigades. Most community members do not have regular access to dental care due to the lack of a dentist within a reasonable distance.

441

Patient Consultations

480

Number of Extractions

234

Fillings Performed

253

Dental Education Workshop

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Community members in El Apintal attend Medical and Dental Brigade clinics hosted in El Apintal’s school building. The various stations of the clinic are held in the school’s 5 classrooms. Doctors are able to spend an average of ten minutes with each patient. Each day of the brigade, an average of 13 educational charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 756
NEARBY COMMUNITIES: Cofradia, El Jocote, El Limon, Las Uvas, San Martin, Las Cañas

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN EL APINTAL

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
King’s College London Medical Brigade& Philadelphia University Medical Brigade & Philadelphia University Physician Assistants Medical Brigade July 2015 28 University of Ottawa Medical Brigade August 2016 19
University of Alabama Medical Brigade & North Carolina State University Medical Brigade May 2018 29 Rutgers University Medical Brigade and Syracuse Area Medical Medical Brigade January 2019 34

Engineering

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

EL APINTAL’S ENGINEERING CHALLENGE

The community of El Apintal has a gravity water system that collects water from a river nearby the community and provides water to 129 houses. This system, however, is quite old and the pipes need to be replaced. Moreover, when the rainy season is over, the river dries and the water supply is affected. The community also has 22 wells but only 1 is public. 

40

Volunteers

16

Km of pipeline designed

30

Average community volunteers

Water System : Yes
Type of System : Gravity
Homes with Access to Water : N/A
Water Council : N/A

EL APINTAL’S ENGINEERING SOLUTION:

Global Brigades will continue to work with the community of El Apintal to research and improve the water system that the community has. 

ENGINEERING VOLUNTEERS IN EL APINTAL

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Boston University May 2022 6 Texas A&M University & North Carolina A&T State University May 2022 17

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in El Apintal but has not yet begun with the Water Program. Now in the planning phase, the implementation of any improvements to the community’s existing water system will follow the Engineering Program’s assessment and start as soon as feasible.

Water System : Yes
Type of System : Gravity
Homes with Access to Water : N/A
Water Council : N/A

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in El Apintal but has not yet begun with the Business Program. Now in the planning phase, a community bank will be established as soon as feasible, followed by market studies and investment in an anchor business to provide additional capital.

Community Bank : No
Community Bank Members : N/A
Economic Activities : N/A
Existing Microenterprises : N/A

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

EL APINTAL’S PUBLIC HEALTH  CHALLENGE:

Many community members in El Apintal lack the resources to make improvements to their household infrastructure. The majority of the homes in El Apintal are made of adobe and wood. Hygiene stations, which include showers and water storage units, are necessary to facilitate handwashing, allow water storage for hygienic processes, and offer privacy while bathing.

Additionally, eco-stoves evacuate smoke from the living space and decrease the risk of respiratory illnesses, and latrines improve hygiene practices and prevent contamination of natural water sources caused by open defecation. By partnering with Global Brigades’ Public Health Program, El Apintal‘s inhabitants are hoping to avoid preventable diseases and adopt proper hygiene and sanitation practices.

11

Volunteers

64

People benefited from Public Health Projects

2

Sanitation Units constructed

Homes with Latrines : 20
Homes with Eco-Stoves : 20
Homes with Water FIlters : 0
Homes with traditional stoves : 143
Homes with eco-stoves : 20
Common House Materials : N/A

EL APINTAL’S PUBLIC HEALTH  SOLUTION

The optimal solution to provide this community with better public access is to oversee and improve the existing services in the community by applying surveys to the community members and conducting research.

PUBLIC HEALTH VOLUNTEERS IN EL APINTAL

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Northern Arizona University Public Health Brigade July 2021 11 Northern Arizona University Public Health Brigade July 2022 8
Northern Arizona University Public Health Brigade January 2023 11 Northern Arizona University Public Health Brigade July 2023 14

Local Reference Points

View the map to see the closest volunteer lodging facilities, hospitals, and other relevant points of reference.

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