Ecuador

Current Projects

Humanitarian Assistance for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

The 38-year-old civil war in Colombia has driven many refugees into northern Ecuador. The American Red Cross is working through the Ecuadorian Red Cross to bring humanitarian relief—clean water and improved sanitation—to the refugees. The project also provides medical and psychosocial services for refugees, displaced populations and host communities along the northern border with Colombia.

To read more about this project, please visit: Red Cross Supports South American Refugees

Integrated Management of Childhood Illness

To reduce the high number of child deaths in Ecuador, the American Red Cross is working together with the Ecuadorian Red Cross, the Pan American Health Organization, the Ministry of Health and other groups through the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy. IMCI aims to reduce child mortality from the five illnesses that account for the majority of childhood deaths in the developing world. These include diarrhea, acute respiratory infections, measles, malaria and malnutrition. Community health volunteers are trained to prevent, recognize and treat the five deadly childhood illnesses. Teaching the 16 Key Family Practices is fundamental to IMCI. Once trained in IMCI, health educators teach caregivers and parents to recognize the danger signs of these diseases, encouraging referral to health facilities when needed.

To read more about American Red Cross relief efforts in Ecuador, go to:

Testimonial of Christian Rivera, Ecuadorian Red Cross Relief Worker

Ecuadorian Red Cross Assists Mudslide Survivors