Ongoing Health Crisis Migration: And still they come – month after month, week after week, every day Venezuelans cross the border (more than 7 million since 2015) driven by extreme food and medicine shortages, violence and political instability. More than 2.8 million Venezuelans have migrated to Colombia – many seeking better health care and economic opportunities. Health Care: Pharmacies and hospitals in Venezuela have severe shortages of medicine and supplies and inadequate staffing as medical professionals leave the country. Even in locations where medical services are available in Venezuela, falling wages and hyperinflation have put medical care out of reach for many families. The collapse of the health care system has exacerbated health conditions for the migrant population with many going months without care. The COVID-19 global pandemic added another challenge for access to health care as border crossings were restricted. Response: Americares has set up 10 clinics in 10 departments in Colombia to meet the primary health care needs of migrants, some who may arrive with chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes. In addition, the clinics have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by screening and identifying patients with suspected COVID-19 infections and referring those cases to designated clinics for testing. Staff have been provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) and specialized COVID-19 training. Watch the video of migrants coming to Colombia talking about their journey and hope towards a better future. “To be a ‘caminante’ (walker) is to have will, to have strength, and always telling yourself, ‘I can.’….”
Health Care at the Border Updated March 2022 Americares initially began operating four medical clinics in Colombia then opened six more in response to the ever-growing humanitarian emergency in Venezuela. The clinics were established in coordination with the Colombian Ministry of Health and Social Protection (MSPS) and made possible with the generous support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) now called the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA). As of September 2021, Americares also counts on the generous support of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM). Six BHA clinics (Arauca, Cúcuta, Cali, Maicao, Santa Marta and Soledad) transitioned to PRM in August 2022 while the remaining three clinics (Barranquilla, Cartagena, and Valledupar) operated until 15 November 2022. PRM clinics will be funded through September 2023. Americares has hired and trained community health workers in 10 departments, with logistical support from local community leaders, to promote educational messages for self-care in community settings and to connect people in remote areas with Americares’ clinical services. To date, Americares community health workers in Colombia have carried out more than 4,300 educational activities in all clinics and have seen more than 55,000 attendees. Click on the arrow and watch the video about what the community health workers are doing. The clinics have been providing essential primary care services free of charge to Venezuelan migrants and Colombian returnees six days a week. By providing primary care, as well as delivering reproductive health services and mental health support, the Americares clinics in Colombia are helping to alleviate the strain placed on the Colombian health system due to the influx of migrants. Thousands of Venezuelan migrants continue to cross the border into Colombia daily in search of quality health care, education and economic opportunities. Prenatal services are one of the major reasons migrants seek care at the clinics in Colombia. Since August 2018, Americares has conducted more than 863,000 primary care and mental health consultations in Colombia.
Fighting the Pandemic with Proven Tools It is the same in Colombia as it has been in Connecticut; the same rules have applied. Get vaccinated, wear a mask, wash your hands and keep social distancing when possible. The science is clear. These steps help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and save lives. Watch the video of a health worker teaching a young boy how to properly his wash hands.