According to the latest World Bank statistics, one in three children in Honduras is chronically malnourished.  Furthermore, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua account for 96% of the chronically malnourished children in Central America. Prompted by the shocking statistics, Becky de Santos, wife of Vice President Elvin Santos, set up 'Fundacion Brazos Abiertos' - the 'Open Arms Foundation', with the bold objectives of making Tegucigalpa's malnourished children better and teaching communities about good nutrition.

Taking children between 6 months and 6 years old, Brazos Abiertos has helped 19 children by taking them into the recovery centre and giving them a nutritionally balanced diet. However, treating malnourished children is much more complex than just giving them nutritious meals; the children have a lot of emotional recovery to get through, as well as eating the right foods. The typical duration that a child needs to stay at the Brazos Abiertos recovery centre is between 6 and 8 weeks, after which they are returned to their families. Importantly, parents

conjointly attend classes, so they learn about nutrition and how to ensure their children stay healthy. The centre also provides ongoing support to the families they help, in the form of medicines and advice.

This centre is a major initiative for Honduras and its medical professionals. If the foundation fills the capacity of its current nutrition recovery centre, it could treat up to 225 children over the next 12 months.

 

Excerpt from Honduras This Week

By Sasha Arms

Compiled by Nikette Benjamin

A group of scientists roved the Nicoya Peninsula of Guanacaste Province last week, seeking confirmation of previous studies indicating that more people live far longer in that area than the world average, reported the daily La Nacion. The study was financed by the National

Geographic Society and the U.S. National Institute on Ageing. Moreover, previous studies showing that residents of the peninsula have 23 percent less incidence of malignant tumors after age 90 than the national average also intrigues researchers. Costa Ricans in

general enjoy a longer life span than in the vast majority of the Third World nations, largely attributable to their developed system of medical care.

 

From a blog on MissionCostaRica.org

Compiled by Nikette Benjamin

Saving Malnourished Children in Honduras

Do People Live Longer in Costa Rica?

International Medical Outreach

I.M.O Gazette

February 19, 2007

Volume 1, Issue 1

Special points of interest:

· A brief overview of the , medical, political, economical, and social situations in Honduras and Costa Rica brought to you by your IMO Cultural Awareness Committee!

· Feel free to let us know of any information that you would like to see in the next newsletter by e-mailing Nikette, your Cultural Awareness Committee Leader, at NBenj87@aol.com!