For 60 years PAHS has worked to improve the health of impoverished families in rural communities. With six decades of experience servicing the needs of the region, we continue to improve the health of our community by providing basic healthcare for families with little or no financial means. We focus on nutritional rehabilitation for infants, toddlers and young children under 5 years of age who have not received adequate nutrition to meet their growth needs. Some of the types of malnutrition we treat are Kwashiorkor and Marasmus, both of these conditions are life threatening.
Nutritional Rehabilitation
Children between the ages of 1 and 5 years of age are admitted for treatment for first, second or third degree malnutrition. Typically parents are advised that their child needs treatment for 2 to 6 months depending on the severity of the child’s nutritional deficiencies. A lacto-ovo vegetarian diet is preferred, the diet occasionally contains fish or poultry while whole-wheat bread, fruits and vegetables are daily staples.
The medical regimen includes vitamins to facilitate and speed recovery and medications for the treatment of opportunistic infections that attack frail bodies with a weakened immunity resulting from malnutrition. A malnourished child typically begins to show significant improvement within the first five days, recovering a healthy glow within the first month of treatment. A child in recovery stays in treatment until they appear to have fully regained their health. This ensures a return of their strength, cognitive skills, and normal bodily growth.
Outpatient and Mobile Clinics
In partnership with volunteer medical professionals we provide basic health consultations and medicine for families living in extreme poverty. In this way we are able to screen for serious illness and assess the nutritional status of the local rural populations.