Health in Yapatera

Yapatera is considered the largest Afro-Peruvian community in the country. Families subsist on small-scale mango, lime and rice farming and remittances from migrant relatives in Lima. A recent research study found that Afro-descendent households have the greatest incidence of chronic ill health problems compared to other population groups in Peru, including indigenous populations. However, because Afro-Peruvians have only recently been formally recognised by the Peruvian state as an ethnic group there is no provisioning of particular services to this population and they are socially excluded from many state and private services. The few state health resources that are available are under heavy demand and have long waiting periods. As a result most people opt to purchase private health care, but usually only once illnesses are very advanced and families are forced to pool together to meet the crippling costs. The knowledge that small lifestyle choices, such as what we eat and how active we are, can make a big impact on our health and wellbeing, is taken for granted in many parts of the world. Yapatera Corazon´s objective is to empower people to care for themselves, their families and their communities with this knowledge.