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.
Community members in 15 de Mayo do not have access to a health center in their community. They travel to El Encinal to visit their health center, which is approximately 2 kilometers away and sometimes has medications available. There is no access to a private clinic. During initial communications with Global Brigades, community leaders shared that the most common illneses were respiratory illnesses, gastrointestinal diseases, and diabetes.