Health & Wellness « Galapagos ICE

Health & Wellness

Our Work | Health & Wellness | Education | Environment

Here are some of our past projects focusing on Health & Wellness.

SODIS Water Project

2008: Barbara Rothengass (USA) of the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, TX, performed Public Health assessments for several schools and medical facilities. From her surveys, safe drinking water emerged as one of the biggest concerns for Galapagos residents. She then collected water samples to test the feasibility of Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS) as a low-cost, sustainable solution to the problem of decontaminating tap water. SODIS utilizes disinfected, re-used plastic bottles to collect water, and the bottles are then exposed to sunlight to kill bacteria. The method has proven effective in at least 20 developing nations. (For more detailed information, see www.sodis.ch.) Galapagos ICE is continuing to work on this project with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Galapagos National Park, to educate local residents about SODIS and the health risks of consuming unsanitary water.

“Get Fit” Nutrition Clinic and Aerobics

2008: Galapagos ICE volunteers Kathy Shimada, a cardiac nurse, Alison Lea, a nutritionist, and Mauricio Pozo, a personal trainer, offered free medical and health advice for residents who had questions about hypertension, diabetes, weight loss, heart problems, or nutrition questions for expecting mothers. Operating out of the Puerto Ayora Hospital and the Santa Rosa Clinic, Ms. Shimada, Ms. Lea, and Mr. Pozo offered information and medical advice to over 230 individuals. Mr. Pozo also led free aerobics classes at a local gym.

Health Seminars: First Aid and Nutrition

2006: Yose Cormier taught twenty parents the basics of first aid, which included how to prevent and treat burns, cuts, deep wounds, and shock, and how to react when someone is choking or is unconscious. Mauricio Pozo taught over seventy individuals about the fundamentals of nutrition, meal portions, basic metabolism, the importance of exercise, nutrition issues for women who are pregnant, and issues for infants and small children.

STD and HIV/AIDS Prevention Seminars

2006: Maria Santos, an epidemiologist from Yellowknife, Canada, gave seminars to local medical doctors, police officers, high school students, and the general community, on the dangers of HIV/AIDS and STDs. The events drew over 700 attendees. Ms. Santos also performed surveys to assess local public awareness of these and other important health issues. This project was coordinated in conjunction with the Galapagos Directorate of Health, and was covered in the media by local TV Channel 9 News, The Municipality News gazette, Radio Santa Cruz, and the El Colono newspaper.

Sexual Education Seminars

2007: To help address the high rate of teen pregnancy on Isla Santa Cruz, Galapagos ICE presented an innovative sexual education program offered within the Galapagos school system. Volunteers Jessica Kahan and Andrew Hemphill worked with a representative from the Peace Corp to prepare and deliver a series of sexual education presentations for both high school students and elementary school students. Under the supervision of the Directorates of Education and Health, Mr. Hemphill successfully presented the program to over 950 students.

Hospital Observation and Medical Check-Ups

2008: Dr. Barbara Withers of Australia observed and assessed equipment and practices at the Hospital Republica del Ecuador. Dr. Withers noted that major issues that presented recurrently were hypertension, obesity, poor nutrition, poor hygiene, dental cavities, and infections due to poor water quality, and she authored a pamphlet for locals on the subject of hypertension. She also made recommendations for much-needed resources (including basins, bed linens, EKG and resuscitation equipment, monitors, blood gas analyzers and other bedside testing devices, as well as reference books and computers), and she urged an increase in the number of local medical specialists to provide better preventive care and minimize costly trips to the mainland for treatment. Additionally, with the assistance of Angela Sternkopf, from Germany, Dr. Withers provided health checkups to approximately 75 children at ‘Los Pinguinitos’ Daycare, and she supported clinical psychologist Ben Wilkes during his stress/anger management seminars by providing blood pressure check-ups and counseling at the Police Department.

2008: Nancy Palmer, a nurse and educator from the US, and her husband Tom, a Geriatric and General Physician, provided free medical check-ups to senior citizens and children with disabilities at the Senior Center in Puerto Ayora. They also visited the highland village of Santa Rosa, where they provided free check-ups for children at Delia Ibarra Elementary and the general community. In total, they saw about 200 patients, and distributed $1200 worth of donated medicine from Blessings International: Medicines for Missions.

Santa Cruz Mental Health

2008: Benjamin Wilkes, an Australian clinical psychologist, offered a series of mental health presentations to the Santa Cruz community, focusing on stress and anger management as well as tips for increasing motivation. The local community requested additional aid with school discipline issues, so Ben also presented seminars to parents and teachers specifically geared toward children’s psychology and behavior. During his stay, he delivered a total of 7 talks to audiences of 25-45 individuals in each.

Adult Health Screening

2006: At the request of the Municipality of Santa Cruz, Galapagos ICE volunteers provided translation services to doctors from the World Health Services as they performed health screenings for over 1000 local residents. Residents were tested for glaucoma, cholesterol, lung fitness, blood sugar, and dental hygiene, and were educated about preventative health measures. Puerto Ayora Mayor Leopoldo Buchelli personally expressed thanks to Galapagos ICE during coverage by local TV Channel 9 News.

Art Therapy for Special-Needs Children

2008: Kelly Moore (USA) and Elizabeth Pelzer (Germany) worked with special-needs children on a series of art projects, in coordination with the Department of Children with Disabilities (INNFA). Utilizing different sensual registers and levels of motor skills, Ms. Moore and Ms. Pelzer helped the children to explore and extend the limits of their disabilities through creative expression.

Galapagos Wellness

2006: Kinesiology professional Jessica Harvey (Canada) worked on Santa Cruz Island for the one month, volunteering in the emergency room and pediatrics ward at the Puerto Ayora hospital. Additionally, she provided physical therapy services to two elderly disabled individuals and one child with cerebral palsy, and counseled local senior citizens about exercises to improve and sustain their health. This program was accomplished with the assistance of the municipality of Puerto Ayora, the Directorate of Health, and the Patronato de Santa Cruz. Local TV news Channel 9 covered Ms. Harvey’s contributions to the community.

Emergency Room Assistance

2008: Angela Sternkopf (Germany) assisted in the emergency room of the Hospital Republica del Ecuador. Working with Barabara Withers, Angela administered vaccinations and performed check-ups for children and senior citizens. And she helped paint the ”Ecological Playground for All” at Oswaldo Guyasamin Elementary School.

Galapagos ICE