Community participation and involvement is a primary theme of national and international public health service development. In Ecuador, a public health system called "Salud Para el Pueblo" or "Health for the People" is defining community planning approaches by actively involving villagers. Salud is a preventive public health system implemented in 1991 focused on clean water and basic public health. A highly successful community model, it has attracted the attention of the United Nations, World Bank American Public Health Association, the West Foundation and the 9th Annual World Conference of Public Health Associations. Salud is run with local administration and volunteers. It receives technical and funding support from professional linkages, but defines need and administrative process to suit community priorities. Salud's system has worked to solve problems in rural as well as urban settings, and may hold promise for key public health problems such as violence control, communicable disease education, and community blight. At the 2000 APHA Conference, Salud was presented in terms of its concepts and achievements. The 2001 presentation will highlight Salud's outreach for its first annual on-site training and work-study conference in Ecuador. The 2001 "Encuentro" involved environmental health and development specialists in an intensive "how-to" experience focused on community organization and leadership. This session will provide an important summary of the conference and provide key guidancefor public health planners and providers.
See phfe.org
Learning Objectives: Develop practical skill in community leadership identification, selection, motivation and support. Develop skill in organizing a sustainable community volunteer network.
Keywords: Community Collaboration, Sustainability
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Public Health International, and Public Health International - Ecuador
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.