Many of the remote Communities on the Amazon have little or no access to healthcare provision. This results in high infant mortality rates and debilitating diseases in the community, many of which can be easily treated by modern medicine. Many of the medicines we take for granted; antibiotics, analgesics and anti-malarials can make a massive difference to the health of the population. The service of a dentist can also make an extremely significant impact in alleviating chronic pain and building better health. A meaningful health service would do much to arrest migration to the shanty towns in the cities as poor health is one of the main factors driving this movement. Health education, training local workers, providing access for government anti malarial teams and providing clean water and sanitation are all part of this long term strategy.

Many of these Amazonian communities are inaccessible by road. Our Amazon Hope medical ships have been crucial in beginning to deliver health in these places. With their shallow draughts they are able to travel up many of the Amazon's tributaries, tie-up alongside a riverbank and wait for the crowds to gather. The ships arrival is always welcomed by many people. 

Our primary health care service is now serving around 100,000 people on an annual basis and includes quarterly visits to communities on the Tigre, Nanay, Ampiyacu and other rivers which impact on chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and on dental health. 

In addition, we are identifying those in need of secondary care such as cataract surgery and either arrange for this work to be carried out in the ship's small operating theatre or at the District hospitals in Iquitos. Visiting medical teams for the UK and US work alongside Peruvian teams to deliver this service. 

From its outset the Amazon Hope Medical and Dental Project has been fully funded by the Vine Trust but this funding has been based on 3 major assumptions...

• Volunteers will go and work alongside the core Peruvian medical staff.
• Fuel Sponsorship to enable the quarterly visiting medical service
• A dependable and regular supply of free medicines for most of the project's drug requirements. 

We are very grateful to International Health Partners UK who are seeking to supply the bulk of our ongoing drug requirements, free of charge from European Pharmaceutical companies and to a Scottish Charitable Foundation who are sponsoring fuel costs.