- The Program for the Sanitary Improvement of Rural Dwellings with Participation of the Community, of Mundo Sano Foundation, was recognized for the degree of acceptance reached among people from the rural area of Santiago del Estero to prevent the risk of Chagas Disease transmission.
- Since the launch of the program in 2005, 495 dwellings have been improved, with direct benefits to more than 1800 people from 14 rural settlements near the locality of Añatuya, Santiago del Estero.
Buenos Aires, August 2022- Mundo Sano Foundation received the IPRA Golden World Award in the Community Relations Category for the Program for the Sanitary Improvement of Rural Dwellings with Participation of the Community, which is implemented in the department of Taboada, Santiago del Estero.
The Program aims to contribute with the interruption of vector transmission of Chagas disease in rural settlements and to improve the life quality and conditions of their inhabitants through three lines: – Entomological surveillance and control to detect, control and monitor the presence of the insect vector, the vinchuca; Structural improvement of dwellings, including peridomiciles, with the active participation of the community, the use of local resources and the distribution of spaces compatible with the practices and customs of the local people; and Access to diagnosis and treatment of Chagas disease in those settlements where the absence of vinchucas in dwellings has been sustainably controlled.
Along with improvements aimed to avoid the presence of vinchucas, the program includes other improvements with sanitary impact, such as the construction of cisterns for water storage and latrines. “We are very proud of this international recognition to an emblematic Program of Mundo Sano Foundation”, states Marcelo Abril, Chief Executive Officer of Mundo Sano. “Over these years, the Improvement of Rural Dwellings with Participation of the Community has made significant advances in the vector control in the communities involved, where the intradomicile infestation indices dropped from the initial 40% to less than 1%”, he concludes.
Besides interrupting vector transmission of Chagas disease, the Program has allowed us to involve and empower all the community, transforming the life quality of its people in a sustainable and significant manner. In turn, the Program has crossed the borders of the involved settlements and has contributed to the improvement of the rural areas near Añatuya. For instance, it can be observed that the roof waterproofing model has been replicated in houses of settlements where the Program has still not been implemented.
Achievements of the Program since its implementation:
- 15 rural settlements benefited since 2005
- 1822 people directly benefited.
- 495 dwellings improved
- More than 400 cisterns and latrines built
- 25 water wells analysed
- More than 300 training events in total
We invite you to learn more about the Program
About the IPRA Awards
The IPRA Golden World Awards, which have been granted since 1990, recognize excellence in the practice of communication and public relations at the world level.
