Building Healthier Communities in the Dominican Republic

Amber Breidel Noah Labelle

Professor: Dr. Arelis Moore de Peralta

Las Malvinas II

Located in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Dr. Arelis Moore and Dr. McDonell in Las Malvinas II, May 2014

Bi-national Research Teams

CHANGE Framework (CDC)Community at

Large

Institutions/community orgs. Heath Care School WorkSECTORS

MODULES

Public Health Priorities

Sanitation Education Chronic Disease Management

Vaccine Preventable

DiseasesUnwanted Pregnancy

METHODS

Focus Groups (2)• Community at Large

Interviews1-Neigborhood Association2. Las Malvinas School3. Health Area Directorate4. Industrial Park5. Environmental Authority

Household Survey (GIS)1. Assets 2. Risks Factors3. Disease History

Utilizing GIS-Geographic Information Systems

-Collector app

GIS Household Survey

Focus Groups Interviews

Identified Priorities• Primary Health Care Center (UNAP)

• Drinking water into their households

• Sewage system

• More efficient trash collection system

• Bigger school building: Addition of high school

• Increased safety and more opportunities to use ecological park

• Vocational training, employment opportunities for community members

A Healthier Las Malvinas IIChallenges:- Limited community organizations and associations - Neighborhood Association

- Small churches - Elementary and middle school

- Insufficient coordination (UNIBE Coalition)- Limited financial resources- Low-income

community- Political climate

Opportunities

- Long tradition of community engagement

- Long tradition of mutual support- Strong local leadership

(Neiborhood Assoc.)- Clemson and UNIBE partnership- Positive view of UNIBE in the

community- Industrial Park Association on-

board- Area Health Directorate on-board- Opportunity for advocacy and

building more partnerships

Thanks!