Our New Health Clinic :: Ausangate, Peru

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Ausangate, PERU - The Mountain Fund is building a new, lost-cost health care clinic.  Access to health care, while improving in many areas, is still limited in many parts of Peru.  This is especially true in mountainous areas - the connection between mortality rate for children under the age of five provides an example.  The difference between urban and rural is far too large.

According to the WHO, there was an average of 39 deaths (for children 5 and under) per 1,000 live births in urban areas between 1990 and 2000.  In rural areas, that number more than doubles, to 85 per 1,000.

The same is true for the relationship between skilled medical personnel present at deliveries and the maternal mortality rate.  This graph shows the massive disparity between the care available to women living in Lima-Callao, for example, versus those living in Cusco or Ayucucho, in the heart of the Andes.  Less than 50% of deliveries are attended by professional personnel, and the maternal mortality rate subsequently quadruples.

Fortunately, a 2006 study by the Pan American Health Organization shows an average under-5 mortality rate 31.1 per 1,000.  The hope is that these overall averages will continue to decrease.

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One of The Mountain Fund's new projects is to build a health clinic in the mountain-area of Ausangate, also known as "Nevado Ausangate," both beautiful and remote.  It is home to the famous Ausangate trek circuit - a circular trek, which covers 70km. The trek is home to three high peaks, one of which is Ausanagte itself, at 6,384 meters.

The lowest point of this area is a five to eight hour drive from Cusco, and is home to four villages.  At an average elevation of 12,000 ft., the growing season is short and the local diet is largely meat and potatoes. This project is a collaborative effort of these four communities who all desire access to basic health care. This clinic will serve all four communities (about 4,000 people) and provide prenatal care, birthing assistance, nutritional support and first aid for these communities. 

Our goal is to contribute to health care in one of the places that needs it most.  After two successful health clinics in Nepal, this will be The Mountain Fund's first clinic in Peru.  It will be placed at the lowest point of the Ausangate mountain area; in between Tinqui and Upis.

The villagers in this area are partnering with The Mountain Fund on this clinic and will donate their land, and all of the adobes necessary to build the structure. We will provide a roof, windows, doors, furnishings, equipment, medication, and salary for one staff person. The older building in the photo to the right is an example of the construction in this area.

The Ausangate clinic will have four rooms: one for outpatient treatment, with a pharmacy; one for wound care (dressing); a kitchen for the staff; and a bedroom for the staff. The clinic will be able to assist with minor medial problems all the way to birthing.  It will be staffed with one CMA (Certified Medical Assistant), and medicine will be sold at wholesale cost. As with all of our clinics, no patients are ever turned away because they have no money.  It will cost $500 USD per month to operate.

We plan to return to the area in the summer of 2009, and start construction! Donation and volunteer workers will help build this clinic.

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For more information on the Nevado Ausangate area, check out this transcript from the documentary, Ausangate, by Andrea Heckman and Tad Fettig.

For more information on health care in Peru:

World Health Organization: "Country Profile: Peru." (2009)

Living In Peru: "DHL, UNICEF fight malnutrition in Peru." (Dec. 2008)

Living In Peru: "President of Peru's health care system reports progress in 2007." (Jan. 2008)