29 July, 2013
LIMA, Peru. – Early this year, Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) initiated a collaborative partnership with Peru-based Vicaria de la Caridad-Caritas Lima to implement a five-year Maternal-Child Health project aimed at promoting health amongst pregnant and nursing women and children five-years and younger. During a visit to Peru in January, BRA’s CEO, Ulrick Gaillard saw firsthand and recognized the great needs of those living in Lima’s impoverished and vulnerable urban slums and is committed to helping to improve conditions and alleviating suffering.
Within the city limits of Peru’s capital Lima exists extreme poverty. The ramifications this economic situation are many—decreased health and wellness being considerably affected. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports 18.1% of Peruvian children suffer from chronic malnutrition; 5.4% ages of five and under are underweight; vitamin A deficiency ranges between 8.7% and 15.7%; 42.7% of women of childbearing age (ages 15-44 years) suffer from anemia and 1.9% are underweight; maternal mortality rate is 98 deaths for every 100,000 births; mortality rate in children five and under is 22 deaths for every 100,000 live births; and 34.8% of the Peruvian population live below the poverty line.
Caritas Lima is dedicated to improving the lives of those living in extreme poverty—especially children, single mothers, the disabled, elderly, and the indigenous populations migrating from rural regions to urban slums of Lima. Some of Caritas’ primary means of intervention include food assistance, comprehensive health care programs, shelters, nursing homes, comprehensive assistance for the elderly, human rights assistance, capacitation and training programs, and support for the orphans and people in conditions of physical neglect. “BRA has identified greatly with Caritas Lima, recognizing that both organizations’ mission and vision align with respect to saving lives through preventive healthcare and education,” said Gaillard.
With the support of its longtime partner, Vitamin Angels, BRA secured critically-needed multivitamins, vitamin A supplements and Albendazole to distribute to 2,000 malnourished children and 450 nutritionally at-risk pregnant and nursing women to reduce the risk and severity of anemia, stunted growth, infections, blindness and mental retardation—ultimately improving health conditions and quality of life for the women and their newborns and children. “With our new program, pregnant and nursing women will receive preventive care during their pregnancies and following births; complications during births and infancy will diminish; the likelihood of full-term pregnancy will increase; and pregnant and nursing women and their children will have improved nutrition,” added Gaillard.
