About Ecuador
One of the smallest but most diverse countries in South America, Ecuador is comprised of coastal lowlands, the central Andean range, and the Amazon jungle basin. With nearly 20,000 unique plant species, Ecuador ranks eighth in the world in biodiversity. Its population of more than 13 million people is also diverse: 25% come from one of eleven indigenous groups.
The second largest oil producer in South America, Ecuador has one of the continent’s worst environmental records, including major deforestation and contamination. In the northern Amazon, Chevron-Texaco oil spills, nearly double the volume of the Exxon Valdez, have polluted rivers and been linked to significant increases in cancer and birth defects.
Economic crises have had a severe impact on health as well. In 2003, 2% of the national budget was allocated for health expenditures, while half was allocated for external debt. Twenty-five percent of the population, mostly in rural and indigenous areas, do not have access to private or public health services. Infant and maternal mortality rates remain high in these regions, though the national rate has decreased since 1990.
Ecuador's last three presidents have been driven from office for corruption or failure to reduce inequities. Recently, democratic indigenous federations have organized and gained more political power to address problems of health, poverty, and environmental conservation at the local and national level.
Our Work in Ecuador (2003 - 2009)
- Education: We conducted community health workshops for more than 150 people from three villages. In 2006, we concluded intensive training for nine health promoters in pediatric primary care, family planning, and basic pre-natal care.
- Financial Support: We have supported 8 community-driven health projects in Azuay, Orellana, Pastaza and Napo provinces with Grassroots Health Partnership Grants. These included installation of 60 household rainwater catchment systems and 15 dry ecological toilets. Two of the projects received second-year grant renewals to deepen their impact.
- Toilet Manual: Dry ecological toilets are an effective solution to combating diarrheal disease. To promote this technology in rural communities, we created a full-color manual for public distribution with detailed instructions on how to build these toilets using locally available, low-cost materials. English and Spanish versions are available for download from the Archives.
- Water Quality Testing: Bacteria levels in rainwater catchment systems were tested in laboratory conditions to measure the effectiveness of common practices for cleaning and maintenance. Without disinfection, levels were above those recommended for drinking water. We identified a simple and effective method to treat water with a dilute bleach solution making it completely safe to drink. This study was conducted by volunteer Leticia Rubalcava and presented at the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers 2009 Conference. See the Poster »
Sources: UNFAO/Mongabay.com; Wikipedia: Ecuador; Pan American Health Organization