Making cities work: Reproductive and environmental health in the Peruvian Andes

Delicia Ferrando, MA, Evaluation Department, Pathfinder International, 9 Galen Street, Suite 217, Watertown, MA 02472, 617.924.7200, mtrombley@pathfind.org

Background: From 1985 to 1992, terrorism increasingly disrupted Peruvian life, especially in the Central Andes. As a result, more than 70,000 people died and thousands more were displaced from rural areas. The city of Huancayo was inundated with displaced families that settled in the growing peri-urban communities surrounding it. The majority were extremely poor, with an average family size of 7-10 members, and no access to running potable water or sewage systems. The cultural adjustment process disrupted traditional patterns of Andean life, rendering communities incapable of ensuring public health and environmental safety. A lack of education, resources, and access to services resulted in dire levels of reproductive health disorders and serious disregard for environmental health practices, primarily concerning sanitation, the contamination of community water sources, and a disruption of personal hygiene.

Solution: Local NGOs involved community leaders and local government in implementing health-promotion programs aimed at preventing illness, improving reproductive health and addressing environmental issues.

Results: After one year of activities, health and environmental conditions of this population have greatly improved, through the provision of RH services and activities aimed at increasing environmental conservation. The project focused on two peri-urban communities with a population of over 20,000 people and engaged local authorities in improving basic sanitation and the participation of children and adults in health prevention and promotion activities. The project’s RH agenda stressed the importance of prenatal care and use of contraceptives, education on sexual and reproductive rights, gynaecological needs, and the prevention of STIs.

Learning Objectives:

Learning Objectives

· Develop activities to promote reproductive health and environmental protection among poor, resource scarce, migrant populations, while involving local authorities and community leaders
· Link efforts to protect the environment and natural resources with those that improve the health of women and their families
· Identify areas to provide FP services where they would otherwise not be available especially to marginalized populations and those in remote areas

Keywords: Reproductive Health, Environmental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation

Reproductive Health and the Environment: Reaching Underserved Populations through Intersectoral Programming

The 132nd Annual Meeting (November 6-10, 2004) of APHA