Mrs. Glazer Inaugurates USAID Health Program for Rural Communities
July 21, 2008

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Mrs. Janet Glazer joins representatives from USAID, Ingenio El Angel, the Ministry of Health, and a group of children from rural communities who will benefit from the new USAID health program.

Mrs. Janet Glazer joined the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and its Strengthening Health and Education Program to inaugurate the “Maternal-Child Health, Nutrition and Hygiene” program that will benefit 11 rural communities in the municipalities of Apopa and Nejapa, in San Salvador.

This new program creates a direct link between USAID, the Ingenio El Angel sugar mill’s successful Corporate Social Responsibility program, the Nejapa and Apopa health units, and the San Bartolo Hospital.  The work will be supported by technical assistance from the involved institutions, school principals, community volunteers, and parents living in the beneficiary communities.

This long-term program is the result of a public-private alliance between USAID,Ingenio El Angel, and the Ministry of Public Health, amounting to a total investment of $234,766 over one year.  Dr. David Losk of USAID joined Mrs. Glazer at the inauguration.

USAID’s model for public-private alliances allows the development cooperation offered by the United States Government to have a greater impact because it combines the resources, experiences and creativity of the private sector with US Government capabilities. 

The investment will support the activities of the Apopa and Nejapa health units, and of the San Bartolo Hospital, through community medical campaigns and training, benefiting 5,419 persons including mothers, children under age five, children enrolled in local schools, and parents who work for Ingenio El Angel.  The training will include topics related to nourishment, prenatal care, personal hygiene, oral health, water treatment for human consumption, vaccinations, and preventive and curative health services, among others.