Approximately 3,038,644 migrant farmworkers are in the United States, 100,000 in Georgia during the 10 month growing period. They are mostly Latino, poor, disenfranchised and uninsured, originating from the rural south of the US, Mexico, Guatemala, and Haiti. Farmworkers experience a life span approximately 30% shorter than the national average. Statistically, farmworkers suffer from health problems for which treatments are available, but to which they lack access. Farmworkers by nature of their work and lifestyle are an extremely hard-to-reach population. Conventional strategies to provide healthcare services have been less than effective. The state estimates they serve fewer than 10% of the migrants. To increase access to health care and fill a gap in service delivery, the South Georgia Farmworker Health Project was established five years ago as a partnership among Emory University, three county health departments, the Southwest Georgia AHEC and the communities. In the two week peak labor period, the project provides free health care to farmworkers, their families, and other eligible persons in a variety of non-traditional settings. Volunteers provide translation, area churches provide dinners, and pharmaceutical companies and area physicians donate medicines. Last year, 1250 adults and children received health assessments. The majority were Mexican, then Guatemalan, and Haitian workers. Haitians differed from the Latino workers in several ways: ability to speak English, native language, and mean age. Similarities of the two populations included the mean educational level and percent reporting receiving health care in the last year. Diagnoses included cardiovascular, ocular, dermatologic, gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal problems. See www.wfp50427.w1.com
Learning Objectives: 1. Participants will be able to describe the demographic differences in farmworkers in South Georgia. 2. Participants will be able to describe one model of university-community partnership for provision of health assissments and services.
Keywords: Health Assessment, Community Collaboration
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: none
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.