Silver Spring, Maryland—On November 18, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), in a joint initiative with the Paraguayan National Emergency Secretariat (SEN), launched a new project that provided health care, health education and medicine for more than 1,000 Paraguayan families living along the banks of the Paraguay River in northern Paraguay.

Between November 18 and 26, ADRA and SEN, equipped with an international team of professional volunteers, including doctors, nurses, dentists, and pharmacists, provided food, medicine, and medical and dental services for 14 vulnerable communities along the river between the towns of Bahía Negra and Concepción, through a hospital boat from the Paraguayan Navy. More than 113,538 pounds (51,500 kg) of food were distributed.

ADRA volunteers also offered talks at local schools and community centers regarding basic hygiene, health care, nutrition, first aid, and disease prevention, and provided residents with free testing for sexually transmitted diseases, such as syphilis and HIV/AIDS.

Throughout the project, special attention was given to indigenous communities in the targeted areas, which are among the nation's poorest and most marginalized.

Since 2006 ADRA Paraguay has implemented four hospital boat projects, which have been crucial in reaching remote regions along the Paraguay River. These projects, according to Felipe Bernal, country director for ADRA Paraguay, were launched to respond to the needs of isolated communities who often receive little aid, resulting in inadequate access to basic services, such as health care.

The project was implemented with the support of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare, the Paraguayan Air Force, the National Navy, the Paraguayan Association of Seventh-day Adventists, and many dedicated volunteers, Bernal added.

ADRA became active in Paraguay in 2002, and works primarily in the areas of Food Security, Economic Development, Primary Health, Emergency Management and Basic Education.

ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race, or ethnicity.

Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.

Author: Nadia McGill

Media Contact: John Torres, Senior Public Relations Manager, ADRA International 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Phone: 301.680.6357 E-mail: Media.Inquiries@adra.org