Grant no. PDC-0507-A-00-5110-00 to People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Project Hope will cooperate with the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MSPyAS) in implementing the project. Under the project, Project HOPE will: (1) educate mothers in the use and practice of ORT via community-level demonstrations and discussions; (2) immunize children under age 5 against DPT, measles, and poliomyelitis; (3) immunize pregnant women against tetanus; (4) develop the use of locally available materials for preparing ORT solutions; (5) identify for referral and treatment severely malnourished children and women with iron-deficiency anemia; (6) educate women of childbearing age in hygiene, sanitation, child spacing, nutrition, and the value of breastfeeding; (7) identify for referral severely handicapped children and ensure that orphans are cared for adequately; and (8) educate MSPyAS auxiliary nurses and rural health technicians in ORT. In addition, community health workers will be trained to constitute a bridge between the communities" indigenous health services and the "Western" official health system. They will be supported by culturally sensitive public health nurses and physicians to ensure that services initiated at the community level will be supported by the conventional health care system. Service coverage for ORT and immunizations is expected to be in the 75%-80% range.