Covid-19 Relief Fund for Vulnerable Communities

Dear donors,

  I hope this letter finds you at ease and that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. As you know, the world is going through one of the most notable health crises, which has been amplified due to the impact of the coronavirus; and in developing countries, the gaps in health disparities due to socioeconomic variables such as lack of education, lack of employment, lack of hospital structures, political tension, violence and structural racism, among other factors. , continue to expand.

  The pandemic has a discriminatory impact on various population groups and their response capacity. The impossibility of working from home, overcrowded conditions and lack of access to water and sanitation increase the risk of infection for the population living in poverty and vulnerability. Likewise, their risk of death is higher due to the higher incidence of pre-existing health conditions such as pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases and diabetes and due to the lack of adequate access to medical care.

  In both the Dominican Republic and Latin America, the different socioeconomic impacts reflect the matrix of social inequality in the region, whose structuring axes are belonging to different socioeconomic strata or social classes, gender, life cycle stage, ethnic-racial condition and territory, to which are added other factors such as disability status, immigration status or street situation. These inequalities accumulate, strengthen and interact with each other, causing multiple discriminations that lead to differences in the exercise of rights.

Short, medium and long-term social protection measures to face the effects of the pandemic must consider the well-being of the entire population, especially that of groups that experience multiple forms of exclusion and suffer more acutely from the impacts of the crisis. For this reason, social protection and well-being must be seen from a perspective of universalism sensitive to differences, that is, taking into account the needs, deficiencies and discrimination of specific groups.

For Health Horizons International Foundation, the pandemic has validated our presence and commitment to the most vulnerable communities in the Dominican Republic. Hand by hand, we have supported the people we serve by providing continuous and uninterrupted primary care services, responding to the determinants that affect community health, strengthening and accompanying national efforts to tackle chronic non-communicable diseases, and empowering local leaders to build resilient communities and be self-managed in their development.

Traditionally, our medical operations, executed three times a year, are a platform that increases the accessibility and affordability of primary care services in the North Region of the Dominican Republic. Thanks to doctors, nurses, volunteers from abroad, we maximize our efforts to educate, defend and promote access to primary care as an undeniable and inherent human right. Due to the limitations imposed by travel regulations, for the third time in a row, we could not count on the presence of these special people who dedicate their time and commitment to patients, however, their support and love continue to prevail in each of the faces of the people in Villa Montellano.

This report, rather than presenting our quantitative success with respect to the services offered during the medical operation of last January 2021, reflects the unconditionality, transparency, and dedication of our work in ensuring that each person has the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified, and happy life.

We want to take this space to thank each one of you for believing and trusting in our work, for your generosity; and to our work team for their impeccable work and commitment in each of our initiatives.

Sincerely, 

Dr Eliezer Lappots-Abreu

Executive Director

Health Horizons International Foundation

• MST_JAN_2021_PERFORMANCE.pdf (PDF)