Bolpebra: "A Beacon of Hope"

The isolated town of 1,400, in the department of Pando near the Bolivian border with Peru and Brazil, was for decades largely ignored by the rest of the country. Most of its inhabitants live in poverty; some 70 percent are women and children.

In June 2003, then Minister of Health Javier Torres Goitia traveled to Bolpebra for the launch of Vaccination Week in the Americas, accompanied by a delegation of government officials, political party members, health workers and representatives of international cooperation agencies, including PAHO.

"It was the first time a minister of state had ever visited this area," said José Antonio Pagés, PAHO/WHO representative in Bolivia.

The visit and ensuing discussions sparked joint efforts by the community, the Pando Department Health Service (SEDES), and PAHO to improve the living and health conditions of the local population. After many months of work—and $6,000 in technical cooperation funds from PAHO—the town inaugurated a new potable water supply system in April. The system captures spring water, stores it in an elevated tank, and distributes it to each of the town's homes.

"Now all the houses have water," a smiling young mother told Pagés during a return visit to Bolpebra. "We feel happy. Now we don't have to walk nearly a kilometer to get a little water for our families."

  Highlights from Vaccination Week:

Panamanian children carry banners promoting Vaccination Week in the Americas during their country's official launching festivities. Panamanian health workers focused their immunization efforts on the 24 health districts where vaccination coverage has traditionallly been lowest.

Among other improvements expected in the near future is a health post, which will be built by members of the community and financed and equipped with municipal funds. SEDES has promised to provide a doctor and nurse as staff. Municipal authorities from the town of Assis, across the river in Brazil, have offered to send specialists, particularly pediatricians, for periodic visits.

In addition, PAHO is providing training in Primary Environmental Care (as part of the Healthy Municipalities strategy) for school teachers and community leaders.

As a result of the changes in Bolpebra, other towns in the border area are pursuing similar projects. Among recent initiatives are citrus growing and animal breeding projects and training for young people in carpentry, agroforestry and environmental sanitation.

"Little by little, Bolpebra is becoming a beacon of hope," said Pagés. "The healthy and productive municipalities approach is now an encouraging alternative. These are ideas that give new life to these communities' desire to work together."