Associação Expedicionários da Saúde ‐ EDS

Complexo Hospitalar Móvel ‐ Operando na Amazônia

Expeditions with Volunteer Doctors to Attend Remote Indigenous Communities in the Amazon

Roughly 500,000 indigenous people live in rural and forested areas in Brazil, places that – due to their remote location – lack access to health services. The populations living in these areas suffer from high rates of degenerative eye diseases, such as cataracts, due to regular contact with the intense sunlight. The lifestyles of some of these populations can also be very physical demanding, leading to hernias.

Expedicionários da Saúde (EDS) brings medical services to indigenous populations who live in remote areas, organizing three expeditions per year where volunteer doctors provide medical care through a mobile clinic. The doctors provide surgeries (including pre and post-operation consultations), basic clinical care, and pediatric, gynecological, ophthalmological, orthopedic, and orthodontic services using cutting-edge technologies. Training for local health professionals is also provided.

With support from BrazilFoundation, EDS can:

• Offer training to 130 local health professionals;
• Perform approximately 750 surgeries and 6000 Realizar cerca 6000 medical visits;
• Provide multidisciplinary care and surgical consultations for patients.

Impact

Quality healthcare for indigenous communities
6000 people attended
750 surgeries performed

“In the past 12 years we performed 5,700 surgeries, reaching 160,000 indigenous people.” – EDS team