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Intern Abroad Health Projects Octavia Waight
Help care for those who cannot care for themselves. At Octavia Waight Center, you have the opportunity to participate in nursing, physiotherapy, geriatric care, and general health care.

You will focus on establishing emotional relationships with patients who would otherwise have few or no visitors. Volunteers also have the opportunity to design and implement various programs to meet other needs of patients. Help improve family planning and pre-natal services in San Igancio. At the Belize Family Life Association family planning clinic, you will assist staff with the daily running of clinic, pre-natal and post-natal workshops, HIV educational outreach, and preparation of educational materials in Spanish and English. Spanish language skill is a plus.

In addition to this, Nurse Dolly Witts works with the public health sector of the San Ignacio hospital. She participates in counseling and education along with the other nurses at the hospital.

Public Health Campaigns
Develop and Assist with ongoing research projects that seek to further understand the specific health care needs of communities within the Cayo District of Belize.  You will work with ProBelize staff and health care professionals, local organizations, and community leaders in an effort to conduct scientifically sound and relevant research.

Research projects seek to determine the prevalence of specific diseases, to elucidate risk factors for such cases, and to pinpoint possible areas for appropriate and effective intervention.  Results from such research will be used to formulate and guide health education initiatives, as well as be prepared for publication in public health journals.

CARE Belize
CARE Belize was founded due to a need to give therapy to children with disabilities under the age of 18. Disabled children do not usually receive the physical therapy and social attention needed to help them rise above their disabilities. These children have a need to be taken out of their homes and be allowed to grow and participate in the community at large.

You will help in taking the children outside for activities, providing physical therapy and exercise, and activities such as singing, drawing, playing, etc. This project will be coupled with another project because CARE does not operate every day.

La Loma Luz Hospital
Gain clinical experience at one of the local hospitals in Santa Elena. La Loma Luz Adventist Hospital is a charitable, non-profit healthcare facility with a mission to provide quality health care to even the poorest of Belize’s citizens. A volunteer’s previous medical experience will dictate their specific responsibilities.

San Ignacio or Belmopan Public Hospitals
Gain clinical experience working at a public hospital in San Ignacio or in the capital city of Belmopan. These government run facilities provide free healthcare to all Belizean citizens. A volunteer’s previous medical experience will dictate their specific responsibilities.

Malaria Prevention & Health Education
Help conduct malaria research in areas once affected by malaria. Collect water samples and study mosquito breeding grounds to better understand the spread of malaria in villages. Interview villagers to see the impact malaria has had. Help dispense prevention information and educate villagers on how to clear their houses of mosquito breeding grounds.

Find out more about the ProBelize Intern Abroad program

Contribute to the Clinica del Pueblo’s efforts to provide health care to the poorest community members of Oaxaca. The clinic provides basic health services and several outpatient surgeries.

Volunteers will contribute to the clinic’s efforts in a variety of ways, including taking vitals, treating injuries, shadowing nurses and doctors, sitting in on surgeries and cleaning and preparing instruments. Volunteers may also perform other duties as needed such as document translation and categorization of donated medications. This is the public healthcare system for citizens who are generally the poorest in Oaxaca and do not have health insurance. There is a main hospital located in the city of Oaxaca and numerous clinics scattered through the state providing various clinical and health education services.

Participants will work in the smaller clinics alongside nurses and doctors. This home for the elderly was built in 1991 on funds donated by the local artist Rufiño Tamayo and his wife Olga Flores. Since its inauguration the home has been under the support and direction of the National System for Integral Family development.

The Casa Hogar’s objectives are to offer quality physical, mental and social services to the elderly that have been either abandoned or do not have the resources to support themselves. The home guarantees security to its inhabitants while working to secure for them the highest level of autonomy and auto sufficiency and the opportunity to a healthy environment where they can live with dignity.

They like volunteers who are good with people and willing to interact with the community.

CORAL (Centro Oaxaqueño de Rehabilitación de Audición y Lenguaje)
CORAL offers hearing-impaired children and adults the gift of a brighter future by providing a full range of low-cost hearing rehabilitative services and programs for those Oaxaqueños that generally cannot afford them.

Volunteers will work with the director and teachers at CORAL to facilitate education, help with fundraising, and work with the children.

Find out more about the ProMexico Intern Abroad program

India

Health Projects at ProIndia are broken down into Clinical and Public Health experiences.  ProIndia partners with local NGOs to place interns at area clinics and regional health camps to learn about the Indian healthcare system and have the opportunity to work with both patients and healthcare professionals.

Through its partners, ProIndia supports a number of ongoing Public Health initiatives as well including rural health camps, HIV outreach, and maternal and public health education.  Interns work in rural communities, learning the ins and outs of the planning, executing, monitoring and evaluating of these projects.

Interns are placed based on their skills and experiences along with their interest, and will find a balance between field and office work.

Health projects in India

• Medical Outreach Clinics
• Maternity Education Program
• Public Health and Nutrition Research
• Regional Preventative Health Camps
  

   Medical Outreach Clinics
This project aims to provide medication, education and primary healthcare to people living in the rural areas of Rajasthan. Small medical camps are regularly organized where the people can get free check‐ups, consultations and medication. Through educational workshops people are made aware of general health, hygiene, nutrition, HIV/AIDS and STI/RTI diseases. Special clinics focusing on the health of women are also organized for women to help treat and educate about gynecological problems, care during pregnancy, reproductive child health issues and pre/post natal nutrition. So far 255 medical camps have taken place, helping thousands of people living in the slum areas of Rajasthan.

Why the project needs you:
In Rajasthan there is big concern about the lack of availability of medical and health services to the poorest communities living in rural areas. The project focuses on sick children, pregnant women and the elderly. There is a real need for these communities to receive check‐ups, consultation, education and medication.
Role of the Intern:
During this project you will assist doctors and paramedics. Activities depend on experience, but you may be involved in taking blood, blood testing, vitals measurements, vaccinations, injections, removing sutures, etc. You will be providing education in a health field that you are familiar or interested in.
Skills Required:
Those with experience in the healthcare field or those currently studying a relating subject are preferred in taking part in this program. Your level of qualification will determine your exact role and how hands‐on you can be.

   Maternity Education Program
This maternal health program, works in rural communities with the aim of reducing infant mortality rates as well as the high number of deaths within women following complications from childbirth. The project centers on educating traditional birth attendants within communities and developing their skills to ensure a safe birthing experience for rural women. It also raises the importance of maternal health within the community. Knowledge and skill areas that the project is trying to improve are delivery skills, pre‐natal nutrition and general care during pregnancy. Over 350 traditional birth attendants have been trained so far.
Why the project needs you:
With high infant and maternal death rates during pregnancy, combined with the lack of facilities, the need to educate communities and improve knowledge and skills of birthing attendants is vital to help minimize problems at birth. Those with health, nutritional and medical experience are vital in improving this area of public health in Rajasthan.
Role of the Intern:
The role of the intern will be to help educate communities and help improve the knowledge and skills of birthing attendants. This will take place in the form of workshops with birthing attendants and informal small help groups with women.
Skills Required:
You will need to have a background in a health related practice, preferably relating to maternal health.

   Public Health and Nutrition Research
This program carries out ongoing health and nutritional research for the local government of Rajasthan and has conducted some cutting edge studies to those who need help. Recently these studies have included rural research in child immunization. The results showed that for children under five years, the rate of total immunization was as low as 2.66%. Based on these findings and in consultations with the district Government, an action project was implemented to help improve immunizations in children. Other research projects address anemia and the positive health effects and feasibility of enhancing dietary intake through village‐level iron‐fortification of flour.
Why the project needs you:
Public health and nutritional issues in Rajasthan need to be continually explored and interventions need to be provided to improve the health of those living in poverty. Too many people suffer from common malnutrition disorders, yet through research we can help to identify the exact problems and create feasible ways to take action to help eradicate these issues. Volunteer assistance brings much needed resource hours to a project with far reaching effects.
Role of the Intern:
Depending on experience, your role will be to assist with on‐going research related to your skills. Depending on your time on site, you maybe be given scope to identify and begin new research.
Skills Required:
Interns will need some past experience in research and general education in a health related field. Those with more experience will be able to help lead and push the program on with its research.

   Work in Regional Preventative Healthcare Camps
This project aims to address health issues with a focus on long‐term health. The major emphasis of the program is on “preventive health”, but also includes involvement in a polio camp, heath check‐up camps for women and provision of nutritional food for students in the child labor schools and crèches. Interactive awareness meetings are organized in different project villages on the issue of reviving a traditional health care system. People have poor access to health facilities located in distant centers. There are many diseases, which given the proper attention and timely action, can be controlled. So awareness generation, skill building, and local treatment etc. of deadly diseases is key. Throughout 2009, 19 health camps were organized in 19 remote villages of Kotra and Jhadol. During the health camp, children and adults were checked and treated for diseases like viral fever, malaria, sexual diseases, immunization of children, reproductive problems, cough, stomachache, headache etc.

Why the project needs you:
The tribal community in this region lacks basic medical facilities. Very few doctors are available at the primary health centers and thus timely medical help is difficult to obtain. It has been observed that in desert villages where health facilities are located far away, any minor ignorance/delay can cause “fatal” situations. These camps look to educate families to know what to do in emergencies as well as educate them on preventative healthcare. The volumes of people are large and any medical help is of great value.
Role of the Intern:
Interns will be involved in the direct hands‐on medical activities of testing blood, giving immunizations, medication, and providing educational workshops in the areas described above.
Skills Required:
A background in a health related field or present study is required.

Find out more about the ProIndia Intern Abroad program

Thailand
Health Projects supported by ProThailand allow for interns to engage with NGOs to combat various health issues Northern Thailand faces. Various organizations tackle numerous health related problems, such as proper care & treatment for HIV/AIDS, distribution of resources and medications, and working to develop social programs for communities indirectly affected by disease and health.

Participants can join a local or national partner organization and contribute to their missions by supporting field work, spearheading fundraising projects to support programs, or providing administrative support to ensure smooth operations, all of which contribute to the daily progress of changing lives.

The skills, interests, and experiences of all interns will be matched with the needs of a partner organization.

Some organizations ProThailand partners with on various projects are:

The Foundation to Encourage the Potential of Disabled Persons
This is a foundation that works to provide mobility devices & physical therapy, free of charge, to disabled communities in 6 Provinces of northern Thailand. The majority of staff at this Foundation have been empowered to manage their own life affairs and become self-sufficient.

Foundation for Older Persons Development (FOPDEV)
FOPDEV works to provide resources and assistance to the sectors of Thai communities that have been affected by HIV/AIDS, but not infected themselves. They are the Grandparents, Aunts/Uncles, Mother/Father that are left to manage the role of deceased loved on from HIV/AIDS.

Find out more about the ProThailand Intern Abroad program.

Ghana
Malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, diarrhea in young children, and poor sanitation are some of Ghana's leading health issues. Recent government efforts have focused on Community Based Health Planning and Services, a new strategy to bring health closer to communities and those most in need.  Small community clinics and door to door outreach efforts now supplement the work of larger clinics and hospitals. 

ProGhana health interns work in clinics and hospitals, take part in community outreach programs and collaborate with Ghana Health Services and local NGOs to promote health education and awareness, providing individuals and communities with the tools to prevent illnesses, access needed healthcare, and lead healthy lives.

HIV/AIDS and Health Education Support

Project Description:
Bring much-needed health awareness and knowledge to communities who suffer poverty and ill health as a result of a lack of education. The project helps to serve the communities around Cape Coast through research, prevention and education. Leading public health issues include malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malnutrition and poor sanitary conditions. This project, working with support groups and local clinics, aims to reduce these diseases through prevention, education, and effective outreach efforts in rural communities and provide support for victims of HIV and their families.

Role of the volunteer
Volunteers can take on a number of roles within this project. One role will focus upon one of the main issue areas, and you will be involved in compiling prevalence data, conducting surveys and evaluating impact of health initiatives. You will also need a good understanding of the main health issues as you will assist in community health education in the form of workshops, and provide education in schools. During outpatient visits you'll interact with rural communities about preventative measures. There will also be opportunities to be a part of medical missions to provide medication and health assistance. For those preferring to work in a support role, activities includes providing counseling, helping victims and their families with care and organizing income generating activities (such as craft workshops).


CLINICAL MEDICAL PLACEMENT
The project
This project is based in town hospitals in the Cape Coast, supporting doctors and nurses as they care for low-income patients. Level of work will vary depending on the volunteer's skill level and you will have the chance to observe various departments within the hospital. Due to the nature of many of the diseases there is a large emphasis on preventative education in relation to family planning and sex education as well as malaria and illnesses related to dysentery.

Role of the volunteer
Volunteers contribute to the hospital's efforts in a variety of ways, including observational work, triage task, taking vitals and anthropometric measurements, treating injuries, shadowing nurses and doctors, sitting in on surgeries, and cleaning and preparing instruments, taking blood and possibly minor surgical procedures. Tasks will depend on the volunteer’s experience but everyone will be expected to carry out some administrational  work. Volunteers may also perform other duties as needed, such as document translation and categorization of donated medications. Volunteers will help run preventative health care  workshops which are essential to the project for the health of the citizens and economically.

COMMUNITY HEALTH OUTREACH

The project
This community outreach project has only a handful of staff and a few volunteers to treat and educate the community on the realities of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Since many of the community members have become victims of these deadly diseases, the project has been working hard to teach methods of prevention. The project also spends time assisting in the local hospital taking care of patients. Volunteers also visit orphanages and mother-and-child centers to help with minor injuries, deworming of children and to give basic check-ups for problems large and small.

Role of the volunteer
Your role will be to assist in routine outreach clinics providing staff assistance, caring for patients and carrying out administrative work. Depending on your level of experience you will also be able to get involved with cleaning wounds, performing minor surgeries, and helping with routine medical check-ups. You will also be primarily involved in preventative and educational workshops, and also from time to time take part in medical missions, which may involve distribution of medical supplies or building sanitary bathrooms.

*NOTE A background in medicine, public health or another related health science is required. Volunteers will need to be prepared to see some difficult and sometimes disturbing health-related matters. This is a great project to really immerse in the community and get to know the people, and the difficult health burdens Ghana is facing. Orientation and project training included.

ENVIRONMENT HEALTH AND SANITATION AWARNESS PROJECT
The project
This project brings together the issues of health and hygiene with those of sanitation, pollution and the environment. Work to promote awareness of how these areas are interrelated and how they affect the locals in local schools and communities. The project aims to ensure that all segments of the population understand various diseases and how they are controlled, how sanitation and environmental pollution contributes to these and promote behavioral changes. Communities are taught to carry out sustainable practices with the surrounding environment to improve the health and economy of local citizens.
Role of the volunteer
Volunteers work with project leaders and others to create programs aimed at teaching adults and children to build awareness and also conducting activities to promote behavioral change. This involves teaching/lecturing, planning and implementing workshops, helping to put presentations together, and working with other activities such as tree planting, delivering medical supplies,  providing care to victims of disease, research and training.

Find out more about the ProGhana Intern Abroad program.

Brazil
In terms of health status indicators, Brazil has a typical profile of a middle income country, meaning that it suffers from the high infant mortality rate and low life expectancy.  Only 82% of the people in Bahia have access to sustainable sanitation and clean water.  In addition, people also suffer from the diseases of higher income countries such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

Since 1998, the country's constitution has guaranteed all Brazilian citizens the right to health care with a national health care system.  Primary care is being improved significantly through Brazil's arrangement to have services administered by local municipalities.  However, implementation varies and some clinics in Bahia have large service areas and are left without resources to provide even basic preventative and primary care.

The guarantee of primary care also does not include access to dental services, and in the poor areas of the state, people of all ages are missing multiple teeth and suffer from chronic oral health issues.

Brazil was the first country in the world to successfully break international patents on HIV/AIDS medication in order to provide comprehensive treatment to those living with HIV/AIDS.  There is a strong HIV/AIDS movement within Salvador which helped Brazil win this political war.

ProBrazil has partnered with other NGOs to provide intern opportunities in health including clinical oral and public health in urban and rural clinics, as well as with community organizations who serve areas where the clinics are uninvolved in the health promotion of the community.  ProBrazil also has partnered with organizations implementing green, self-sustainaing sanitation solutions on the island of Itaparica.

Our most recent and current health project:

Providing Healthcare to Cancer Patients
This project helps to provide healthcare to children in Brazil who suffer from Cancer. In 1988 a group of doctors, friends and parents of children with cancer got together and founded Grupo de Apoio à Criança com Câncer (GACC). GACC ‐ a philanthropic entity – was formed to give support to children in Brazil whowere suffering from cancer. This group found that up to 70% of patients were abandoning their cancer treatment due to social‐economic reasons, so they founded GACC in order to help with the continuationof the patients treatment.
    Why the project needs you:
There is room for up to 104 children to stay at GACC with ages ranging from 0‐19 years old. With this many children housed at GACC, they are always needing and looking for extra help in all areas to ensure that they can continue to operate and help with the treatment of the patients. 
    Role of the Intern:
Interns are needed to help with occupational therapy, psychological sessions and therapy, create and organize drama classes, music activities, games etc., help teach school classes, work in the library, help with organization of finances and sales, as well as teach and help others how to create handicrafts and sell them.
    Skills Required:
Some English is spoken here, however interns who work on this project should have a basic level of Portuguese or Spanish. Placements in Occupational Therapy and Psychology should have a basic knowledge of Portuguese as they will then be able to better to communicate with the children they are working with. Interns must be enthusiastic, patient, caring and good‐humored to work with the children.

When you're ready, apply at www.myproworld.org/apply.