The purpose of this project is to assess medical and public health interventions in rural Nicaraguan communities using brigade data and statistics.

1. Internship Abstract
Title: Community Health Intervention Assessment
Name: Margaret Haskopoulos
Preceptors: Pablo Garr​ó​n, Global Brigades Nicaragua Executive Director
Agency: Global Brigades
Purpose:​ To assess medical and public health interventions in rural Nicaraguan communities using
brigade data and statistics.
Significance:​ Waterborne illnesses, including those caused by bacteria, virus, and protozoa are endemic
to Central American countries. The World Health Organization estimates that 3.4 million people
worldwide die yearly as a result of water-related diseases. Among the most common of limitations to
addressing these illnesses in Central America is a lack of public health infrastructure in regard to
sanitation and water access. Global Brigades, an international non-profit organization, implements a
holistic, public health model in rural Nicaraguan communities to address health issues such as waterborne
illness. These programs include the construction of latrines, hygiene stations, septic tanks, and water
storage units. In their communication with Global Brigades staff, most communities expressed “lack of
latrines or properly functioning latrines” and “limited access to potable water” as their top needs.
Assessing the effectiveness of such interventions through a comparison of community health data and
statistics is both beneficial and viable to future medical and public health programs in rural Nicaragua.
Method/Approach:​ Medical diagnosis and prescription data were collected during a medical brigade to
the rural community of La Vainilla. Data were collected on 419 patients using health record forms
completed by patients and physicians. The health forms were uploaded to a database and compiled into a
report. Global Brigades’ Data Informatics team generated a report listing patient health outcomes and
diagnosis statistics. Using data from medical brigades pre and post-public health intervention, the data
informatics team created a report on the community of ​Los Encuentros de San Gabriel. Reports from both
communities were compared for differences in waterborne disease frequency.
Outcomes/Results: ​Analysis of health data acquired before the implementation of public health
interventions from Los Encuentros de San Gabriel and La Vainilla displayed a high frequency of probable
waterborne illness such as infections of the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts in both communities (30.6%
and 30.3% respectively). Examining health data from Los Encuentros de San Gabriel after the
implementation of public health interventions displayed a decrease in waterborne illness (24.7%). The
frequency of urinary tract infections decreased by 50% post-public health intervention.
Evaluation/Conclusion: ​After the construction of functional latrines, hand-wash stations, and
water-storage units, the community of Los Encuentros de San Gabriel saw a decrease in waterborne
illnesses such as infections of the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. Further implementation of Global
Brigades’ public health model will serve to promote better health outcomes among communities.