Alliance for the Amazon Against COVID-19
We are delighted to announce that the medical programme in Peru has introduced a new mental health service in 2021. The project, which will initially run until summer 2022, has been designed in joint collaboration between the Amazon Hope Programme and two Peruvian psychologists who volunteered on board the ship in 2020. Elena Pila, National Director, shares more information on this exciting development:
“The Amazon Hope Medical Programme has recently sealed an important partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), an independent agency of the United States federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance.
The agreement is part of the ‘Alliance for the Amazon against COVID-19’, an initiative led by USAID and a Peruvian NGO, ‘CEDRO’ to mitigate the adverse social and economic impacts of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations in Peru, particularly within indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon. USAID, the Alliance and now the Amazon Hope Medical Programme will support the Government of Peru to adequately respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
The Amazon Hope Programme has become part of the Alliance with an innovative Mental Health proposal that will provide services to the most vulnerable Amazon populations, taking into account their needs and characteristics. The Mental Health project will use an approach that integrates orientation and counselling for adults and children, as well as training for mental health professionals and community leaders/agents.
All activities will take place alongside our other medical services and will be provided from our vessels, Forth Hope and Amazon Hope 2.”