Safe Water Access for rural communities in Ecuador. March 1, 2012
that the problems with diarrhea were presented mostly in the men. In the women skin problems and cold symptoms were the most frequent. The rest of the illnesses appeared in a similar pattern. TREATMENTS USED In relation to the most commonly used treatments, the results of the Apatug community in the Andes region are presented here. Natural medicines along with modern are the most commonly used treatments. Among the reasons for choosing these methods are the understanding of the plants and home remedies to treat stomach problems, such as diarrhea, parasites and infections. The families use three methods: natural medicine, purchased medicine and, for children under five years old, a medical center. The distance and lack of money are the factors that explain the low use of local health services. Self-medication is the preferred method for the illnesses related to the cold weather, probably due to the easy access to local stores and city pharmacies that have been used for a long time and recommended by other people. A smaller percentage of people indicated that they have not had any illnesses in the family and because of this have not used any treatments. MEDICAL EXPENSES PER ILLNESS The presence of family illness does not only cause worry, pain and suffering, but it also affects the family’s economy. The results of the analysis show that 45% of the interviewed families spend more than $40 per month for medical treatments. This expense represents approximately 20% of the family’s monthly salary. Earlier studies have demonstrated that the average salary of a rural Amazonian family is $200 dollars.
Geovanny Santamaria. gsantamaria@map.org El Universo E-756 y Shyris – Quito-Ecuador