Project Amazonas

Medical Assistance Program

The Medical Assistance Program

The objectives of our medical assistance program are to promote, coordinate, and/or initiate humanitarian, medical, and related research and activities in the Peruvian Amazon region (Department of Loreto). These objectives and activities are briefly summarized below.

Medical Activities

1. Provision of regular and modern health services and education to the inhabitants of remote river communities, while emphasizing self-reliance and the use of effective traditional remedies and treatments.
2. Solicitation of donations of medicines, medical supplies, reference materials and equipment for the conduct of medical operations. Coordination and distribution of shipments of donated medical materials to hospitals, clinics, and doctors in the Department of Loreto in the Peruvian Amazon.
3. Training of health workers in remote communities for the treatment of independently manageable ailments. Provision of these health workers and communities with basic medical kits, as well as provision of instructional materials for the teaching of preventive medicine by health workers and teachers.
4. Arranging and coordinating visits to the Peruvian Amazon by volunteer health and development professionals, and by appropriate student groups, for the purposes of contributing services and training, and/or participation in health/educational training activities.
5. Initiation of child health programs in the areas of infectious disease and nutritional health.
6. Treatment of medical conditions where possible, while emphasizing disease prevention (health education) and the cultural preservation of effective traditional remedies and health practices.

Research objective

1. Rapid diagnostic methods for use in remote areas.
2. New advances and drug therapies for the treatment and prevention of endemic disease problems.
3. Ethnobotanical and pharmacological research into the effectiveness and potential widespread use of traditional herbal remedies.
4. Program innovations in preventive medicine, traditional medi-culture appreciation, sustainable development projects.

Public Health

Promotion of sustainable harvesting and the conservation of forest resources (along with provision of adequate health care) has the potential to enhance living standards in rural areas and help slow the migration of people from forest communities to the cities. Sustainable development projects that enhance health and living standards in traditional rural settings also enhance long-term conservation prospects for the Amazon rainforest. People who know the forest best, and who value it for a very wide range of products, are the least likely to cut it down for large scale (commercial) timber harvest and cattle ranching. Currently, people in most rural communities probably enjoy a healthier environment than that found in the squatter camps and shanty-towns in which many rural people end up when they migrate to the cities. Development projects in the past have included training in small-scale timber harvesting techniques, ornamental fish collecting, pottery, woodworking and related activities. Such activities, properly managed, add considerable value to maintaining the rainforest in a natural or semi-natural state, and can discourage widespread clear-cutting for lumber and grazing.

Facilities, Transportation and Staff

Project Amazonas maintains three field stations on the Rio Orosa and the Rio Apayacu, close to the communities served by the Medical Assistance Program. Stations are equipped with housing, shower, toilet, and cooking facilities, and have extensive trail networks. A general store serves the local populace at one of the field stations. Follow the link for more information about Project Amazonas Research Stations. The Project Amazonas river launch, the B/F Tucunare, is self-contained and equipped to transport medical personnel and volunteers as needed. The vessel has a completely furnished kitchen (including stove, sink and freezer), bathrooms, safety equipment, 12 passenger bunks, dining area and partially open upper deck. Follow the link for more information about Project Amazonas River Vessels Project Amazonas' only employees are Peruvian citizens from the Peruvian Amazon region. Local people are employed as assistants, guides, and cooks, and accompany visitors during activities, operate generators and river craft, provide plant and animal identifications, maintain facilities, cook meals, translate, and assist in daily Medical Assistance Program activities in the communities visited.

Program Development Interests

1. The Project Amazonas Medical Assistance Program is very interested in promoting networking among colleagues in tropical medicine, preventive medicine or other humanitarian programming roles.
2. Project Amazonas is interested in coordinating with teaching institutions to promote student and or faculty participation in medical programs.
3. Donations of medicine and medical supplies are a vital part of the program, and potential donors are encouraged to inquire about our needs in this area.
4. Project Amazonas wishes to establish contacts in epidemiology and tropical and infectious disease monitoring who can serve as resources for medical personnel, and who can help maintain awareness of up-to-date health information and statistics.