Dominican Republic Health Outreach Project: Public Health Applications in Developing Countries
Since 2002 groups of MPH students and faculty from the UMDNJ School of Public Health went to the Dominican Republic to undertake public health projects in a number of Haitian “bateyes”. Bateyes are extremely poor communities of sugar cane workers and their families who live without clean water or toilettes in tin and cardboard shacks without access to health care or schools for their children.
This field experience is part of a 3-credit course “Public Health Applications in Developing Countries” offered in the Health System and Policy Division. For the course, students spend part of a semester preparing for the trip, doing required course readings, developing public health interventions (e.g., health education workshops), and collecting materials (e.g., medicines, food, and other donations) to bring into the field. Then the team travels to the north coast of the DR for a week where they work in the field. Upon their return, students prepare papers and projects on various aspects of their experience in the bateyes.
The project is conducted together with “Crossroads” a non-denominational outreach mission outside of Puerto Plata. During their week in the DR, students stay at Crossroads and go down and work in the bateyes during the day. They assist with parasite control programs, present health education sessions, and help facilitate a health clinic. Students also participate in a feeding program in the villages. Donations collected through the project have been used to help cover the cost of medical care and medicines, building a water system including fresh water taps, showers and toilettes, building a portable outhouse, and for the purchase of a “village” cow.
