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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Max A. Zarate, PhD, Health Education and Promotion, East Carolina University, 310-B Allied Health Belk Building, Greenville, NC 27858, 252 328 5597, zarate@ecu.edu and Mateo Ramos, Centro de Salud, Health Center, San Mateo Ixtatan, Huehuetenango, San Mateo Ixtatan, Guatemala.

The development and implementation of a public health action plan for San Mateo Ixtatán, a rural town in Guatemala was conducted between 2002 and 2003. At this time the urban area of San Mateo had an estimated population of 10,000. Also, because of the affects of the civil war that ended in 1996, its institutional infrastructure was still in development. Representatives from eight local water systems and other community members identified drinking water quality, solid waste disposal, and wastewater collection and disposal as their main public health problems impacting community well-being and economic development. Field visits were conducted to water systems, streets with sewage pipes, sewage discharge points, and to sites where solid waste was dumped. Interviews with water committee members were arranged during those visits to learn more about the history and the problems of the water systems and, if applicable, of the sewage systems. The plan to address the main public health problems included three programs: (1) monitoring drinking water quality, (2) solid waste management, and (3) wastewater management. It was presented and explained through open meetings held in each neighborhood. Representatives were nominated to attend the educational course and be members of a task force for each program. The development of this capacity building process is presented in this paper.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• List steps to follow if the decision making process in a community is openly democratic.
• Identify barriers to plan implementation in rural settings.
• Create strategies to bring together public health stakeholders.

Keywords: Rural Communities, International Public Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation