Putting Health Within Reach for Families in El Salvador

AmeriCares began delivering aid to El Salvador in 1986, and today we operate a medical clinic and continue to provide medicines, medical supplies, program expertise and financial assistance.Lazaro feels lucky: Not only did the AmeriCares Family Clinic in Santiago de Maria, El Salvador, diagnose and repair his hernia, but doctors there treated his wife’s cancer as well.Now, Lazaro can keep working at his agricultural job and earn money to send his children to school. In El Salvador, many people do not have access to health services. Government clinics often lack equipment, medicines—even doctors. Private care is too expensive for most.

Quality Primary Care

Since 2003, the AmeriCares clinic provides quality care for people throughout the region, including specialty services and health education. Last year, the clinic managed 68,000 patient visits and more than 150,000 medical services. The 10,000-square-foot facility is equipped with modern medical equipment and provides families throughout El Salvador with services including primary care, pediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology, ophthalmology and dentistry.The clinic also offers health education and promotion programs for the community and distributes donated medicines to more than 60 smaller clinics and hospitals nearby. By creating a locally-staffed model of care and supporting other clinics, AmeriCares is improving the way health care is delivered in this developing country.In El Salvador, the need is great:

• More than 50 percent of the population is unemployed.
• Over one-third of the poorest Salvadorans lack access to public or private medical care.
• The prices for medicines are the highest in the region.
• Rural communities suffer from poor living conditions, including water pollution and contaminated soil from toxic waste disposal.  

Ongoing Medical Assistance

AmeriCares began delivering aid to the country in 1986, and today we continue to provide medicines, medical supplies, program expertise and financial assistance. Through a network of trusted partners, AmeriCares donations of medicines and medical supplies – totaling more than $10 million last year – reach hundreds of health care facilities including hospitals, clinics, health posts and homes for children and the elderly.

Disaster Preparedness

El Salvadorans are also at risk for natural disasters, as their country’s geography makes it a perfect target for hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. AmeriCares now pre-positions emergency medicines and supplies in the country to ensure that life-saving aid will be close at hand after any disaster.Learn more about our work in El Salvador here. Read More Donate Now