November – December 2018

Led by pediatrician Jinny Brack, a team of clinicians, educators and two Dartmouth College undergraduates traveled to El Rosario in early December to run the first “Pediatric Jornada”. Funded by a generous grant from the Zondervan Foundation, the team invited every child aged newborn to 5 years living in El Rosario to participate in comprehensive medical and dental screening. Each child underwent assessments for growth and nutritional status, vision, hearing, and developmental progress as well as full physical and dental evaluations. All participants received a year’s supply of multivitamins, anti-parasitic treatment and preventive fluoride varnish. The team identified important medical, dental and developmental diagnoses and initiated referrals and supportive treatments. Our clinic nurse, Nolvia, supervised all the scheduling, management and follow-up of the jornada. Over 80 young children from the community received services.

Betsy Rybeck Lynd, long-time educator and ACTS board member, also met with local educators to introduce materials for teaching math. She provided additional follow-up on the English language program and identified specific educational barriers in the community, including enrollment attrition due to minor program costs (uniforms, backpacks) and major gaps in the school lunch program.

The team also worked with both the Health and Development Committee and the Clinic Committee to address current needs and concerns. Food scarcity and nutrition, especially for the region’s children, continues to alarm community leaders. ACTS plans to extend efforts to support the youngest children of the Locomapa area with additional pediatric screenings in outlying communities in 2019. Community leaders are also very supportive of a pilot program addressing prenatal nutritional support and education which ACTS intends to launch next year.

Young families wait outside the clinic for comprehensive pediatric screening including nutrition, vision, hearing, physical exam and dental evaluations.

The corn crop was lost this year due to drought. The Locomapa region is struggling with increased food scarcity and nutritional challenges.

The jornada provided comprehensive screening for over 80 of El Rosario’s youngest children. The infant pictured here was seen with his older sister who had been referred for eyeglasses.

A young patient from El Rosario receives his first-ever dental evaluation during the Pediatric Jornada.

Children participated in development assessment, including assessment of drawing and writing skills.

Children participating in the developmental assessment.

Each child also received a year’s supply of vitamins, medication to treat parasitic infection, preventative fluoride treatment, and book to promote early literacy skills.