Venezuela, a country in South America, has been dealing with economic and democratic instability, which has led to millions of Venezuelans emigrating to neighboring countries. Consequently, there has been a significant reduction in trained professionals such as doctors and nurses, as well as inadequate funding for basic public health necessities. In fact, eight out of 10 Venezuelans do not have sustainable access to sanitation facilities and safe drinking water. However, issues that many Venezuelans face on a day-to-day basis are being combatted with the help of these three health care charities in Venezuela that provide efficient and life-changing care in the country.

Healing Venezuela

Healing Venezuela became a registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) in 2016 and provided several sustainable health care programs to help all sectors of society. Due to Venezuela’s current medical instability, Healing Venezuela has provided an allowance and sponsored junior doctors working in seven different hospitals around the country. This helps cover junior doctors’ expenses and makes it easier to see their patients without financial burdens.

In 2023 alone, up to 100 junior doctors were sponsored, which contributed toward the treatment of more than 120,000 Venezuelan patients. Helping Venezuela also advocates for women’s reproductive health by offering free contraceptive and sexual health devices to women as well as training doctors to specialize and perform portable ultrasounds in state hospitals. The initiative aims to improve the medical space in Venezuela by supporting and training doctors to help patients in need who are facing limited medical resources.

Cuatro Por Venezuela Foundation

Another one of the health care charities in Venezuela making a difference is Cuatro Por Venezuela. This foundation, formed in 2016, works and partners alongside other existing organizations to reach the needs of people in Venezuela by developing programs and sharing resources. The Cuatro Por Venezuela Foundation partnered with another organization in order to provide sustainable medication for Venezuelans who have epilepsy but do not have access to adequate treatment.

In 2021, up to 622 patients received seizure medication for the whole year in six areas in Venezuela. The foundation also has an ongoing program that gives children in rural areas three nutritious meals a day. Between 2021 and 2022, the organization provided 75,300 meals to people in the village of Camblanche in Eastern Venezuela, helping 60 children and 420 family members in the rural community.

Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a global group of humanitarians who all share the aim to “alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities.” This humanitarian team has been working in Venezuela since 2018 and has made considerable efforts to support hospitals by donating important medical equipment. In fact, in 2022, Mercy Corps donated more than 50,000 items, such as syringes and surgical gloves.

Currently, there has been a rise in maternal and infant mortality rates, whereby nine out of 10 pregnant women in Venezuela lack access to medical care. In response, Mercy Corps encourages qualified specialists such as doctors and nurses to stay and work in Venezuelan state hospitals, particularly neonatal intensive care units, by offering financial incentives. Mercy Corps proves to be effective in its aim to “alleviate suffering” by expanding medical access to many in Venezuela.

– Zaynab Yusuf

Zaynab is based in London, UK and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: UNICEF