Working towards health and hope for all
AMOS Health and Hope APDO Postal 5051, Managua, Nicaragua
Nicaragua Phone: 011.505.2271.2933 US Internet Phone 240.575.5625
About Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the second poorest country in
the Western hemisphere, second only to Haiti.
According to the Nicaraguan census, the
country has a population of 5,570,129.
Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America, with diverse terrain including dry areas and lush mountainous regions.
Managua is the capital city, located in the
Western part of the country.
While Spanish is the official language, there are indigenous languages and some English spoken on the Caribbean coast.
HISTORY
A history of political turmoil, a civil war, and catastrophic natural disasters have contributed to situation of poverty in Nicaragua. According to IFAD, (the International Fund for Agricultural Development, a specialized agency of the United Nations), 80% of Nicaraguan people live on less than $2 a day.
HEALTHCARE
Due to a limited budget and difficult access to rural areas, healthcare in Nicaragua is limited. The Nicaraguan Ministry of Health (MINSA) reports that 50% of the rural Nicaraguan population has little access to medications or basic health services.
In Nicaragua, 44% of Nicaraguan people reside rural areas, which poses challenges for improving healthcare because the rural areas are especially difficult to access. The general condition of the roads is poor and many areas can only be reached by foot.
Nicaragua has two seasons - the “rainy season” and the “dry season”. The “rainy season” further complicates access to remote areas, seeing as the large amounts of water hinder transportation.
Battling between drought and flooding proves to be challenging for more than just road conditions. Agriculture is the main source of livelihood in most rural areas. Heavy rains or severe drought are both notorious for wiping out entire crops. This further contributes to the existing poverty.
The people of rural communities struggle to sustain life without agriculture. Even if they were to attain a small income, it is difficult to spend it outside the community due to lack of transportation.
Another problem many rural Nicaraguan communities face is a lack of access to clean water. Without proper sanitation, preventable diseases, such as diarrhea, plague children. Other health threats, especially parasites, pose a huge problem as well. To read more about the occurrence of parasites and what is being done to prevent their existence, click HERE
Combining the previous factors leads to malnutrition and poor health, which affects both mental and physical development of children.
Rice and beans are mainstays in the Nicaraguan diet. Nicaraguans consume significant quantities of corn as well, but malnutrition is a serious problem. Children lack important vitamins found in fruits and vegetables, which help support a healthy immune system and normal growth and development. Children living in poverty-stricken conditions are 50 times more likely to get sick and five times more likely to die.
Inadequate housing poses a problem as well. Dirt floors harbor parasites. Certain areas of the country have higher rates of malaria due to overpopulation of mosquitoes. In hut-like houses without much enclosure, insects and rodents are easily present.
In order to meet some of these overwhelming needs in Nicaragua the Ministry of Health to help improve the health conditions of 75 rural communities.
