External links
| General | |
|---|---|
| National libraries | |
| Founded | 1973 |
|---|---|
| Founder | David Werner |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Headquarters location | Berkeley, California |
| Publication types | Books |
| Nonfiction topics | Health |
| Official website | hesperian |
Hesperian Health Guides, formerly known as Hesperian Foundation, is a nongovernmental non-profit organization publishing health guides for trained and untrained people to care for themselves and others. The foundation is based in Berkeley, California. Among their best-selling publications is Where There is No Doctor , first published in 1973 [1] and updated every few years. [2] The book has been translated to more than 80 languages and the World Health Organization estimates that it may be the most widely used public health manual in the world. [3]
Hesperian's publications are known for their simplicity of expression and illustrations, both intended to make them suitable for use by ordinary people in home and community contexts. Where There is No Doctor was praised by those who felt it "demystified and politicized health care," communicating that "although some health problems require expert medical attention, there is much that we can do on our own to positively affect our health," a message also communicated in subsequent works. [4] As of 2011, the organization had a rating of four out of four stars from Charity Navigator for the efficient use of donated funds. [5]
Hesperian often works with other organizations to create new publications and revise older ones. The short work Water for Life: Community Water Security was published in conjunction with the United Nations Development Program. [6] In 2006, Hesperian received a US$40,000 grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund to develop a book on environmental health, [7] and in 2004 the Firelight Foundation provided a small grant to fund the revision of the 1999 book HIV, Health, and Your Community. [8]
Complementing its other activities, the organization includes a gratis fund that sends free copies of its publications to those who cannot afford them, a translation fund providing seed grants to cover the costs of local translation and adaptation in international communities, and a grant fund to assist health education programs in developing creative ways to use Hesperian publications by such means as street theater and radio broadcasts. [9] [10] Access to the publications also is fostered through the organization's policy of permitting copying, reproduction or adaptation of any part of a publication to meet local needs "provided the parts reproduced are distributed free or at cost—not for profit," resulting in the availability of online copies of various publications. [11] [12]
Hesperian Health Guides is an official supporting organization of Healthcare Information For All by 2015.
Hesperian Health Guides "is responsible for countless miracles in various parts of the world by providing basic health care books to those who either cannot afford medical treatment or cannot survive the long, arduous journey to the nearest doctor," says the San Francisco Chronicle. [13]
Hesperian's publications are widely praised by a variety of sources, and Hesperian involves organizations from all over the world in the development of its books. "Where There Is No Doctor is an indispensable resource... This book has been, quite literally, a lifesaver for the poor - even where there is a doctor." says Paul Farmer, Professor of Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School. "Helping Children Who are Deaf" was praised in The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education for its "broad perspective. Parents, teachers, deaf adults, and health care workers from around the world—over 17 countries—advised and reviewed draft materials of the book. A very long and impressive list of individuals and organizations from Bangladesh to Zimbabwe are given credit and thanks for sharing their experiences, stories, and knowledge." [14] Another review criticized the book as not sufficiently overcoming Western cultural assumptions about areas such as privacy. [15]
Hesperian released Health Actions for Women in February 2015; a 352-page print book and online resource that shares proven strategies and activities to help women and men facilitate community discussions and action around such topics as family planning, sexuality, HIV, and gender-based violence — even in challenging settings where education and organizing for women's and girls’ health may be difficult or dangerous.
In May 2015 Hesperian also released "Workers' Guide to Health and Safety" to put occupational safety and health information into a form that can be used by those most affected by workplace hazards—the workers themselves. From low wages to sexual harassment, from ergonomics to fire safety, from chemical exposure at work to pollution outside the plant, this book draws on the experiences of factory workers and their communities around the world to provide actionable tools to help organize for short- and long-term improvements. Developed in collaboration with factory workers and their advocates, workers, educators, and organizers will find a wealth of practical and sustainable information in this one-of-a-kind resource.
Most of the titles listed above are available from Hesperian in Spanish, and a few are available from the Foundation in French, Vietnamese, and Chinese. [18] Publications are distributed by a variety of other organizations in over 100 other languages, including:
| General | |
|---|---|
| National libraries | |
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency International is a humanitarian agency operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church for the purpose of providing individual and community development and disaster relief. It was founded in 1956, and it is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America.
PATH is an international, nonprofit global health organization based in Seattle, with 1,600 employees in more than 70 countries around the world. Its president and CEO is Nikolaj Gilbert, who is also the Managing Director and CEO of Foundations for Appropriate Technologies in Health (FATH), PATH's Swiss subsidiary. PATH focuses on six platforms: vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, devices, system, and service innovations.
East Meets West, known in the United States as Thrive Networks, is an international non-governmental organization pioneering evidence-based programs and technologies in health, water and sanitation, and education for under-served populations in Asia and Africa. It was founded in 1988 by author and humanitarian Le Ly Hayslip, and is based in Oakland, California, USA.
FXB International, also known as Association François-Xavier Bagnoud, is an international development organization aimed at providing support for communities affected by AIDS and poverty. The organization was founded in 1989 by Albina du Boisrouvray.
David B. Werner is author of the book Donde No Hay Doctor, co-founder and co-director of HealthWrights and Adjunct Associate Professor at Boston University School of Public Health, Department of International Health. A biologist and educator by training, he has worked for many years in rural health, community health, village health care, community-based rehabilitation, and child-to-child health initiatives in the Third World, especially Mexico.
Rural Education and Development Program (REDEP) is a volunteer non-profit organization based in the Ajumako Enyan Essiam District in the Central Region of Ghana. The organization was granted NGO status by the Department of Social Welfare in April, 2001. REDEP is engaged in activities that bring hope to the people it serves through community development programs that help fill the needs of the people for Health, Education, Environment and Livelihood.
CD Publications began as a news service firm located just outside Washington DC, United States. It produces Web-based "news services" whose topics of coverage include housing, health care, education, funding, aging and Native Americans.
HIV/AIDS in Eswatini was first reported in 1986 but has since reached epidemic proportions. As of 2016, Eswatini had the highest prevalence of HIV among adults aged 15 to 49 in the world (27.2%).
Rwanda faces a generalized epidemic, with an HIV prevalence rate of 3.1 percent among adults ages 15 to 49. The prevalence rate has remained relatively stable, with an overall decline since the late 1990s, partly due to improved HIV surveillance methodology. In general, HIV prevalence is higher in urban areas than in rural areas, and women are at higher risk of HIV infection than men. Young women ages 15 to 24 are twice as likely to be infected with HIV as young men in the same age group. Populations at higher risk of HIV infection include people in prostitution and men attending clinics for sexually transmitted infections.
The Global Health Council is a United States-based non-profit leading networking organization "supporting and connecting advocates, implementers and stakeholders around global health priorities worldwide". The Council is the world's largest membership alliance dedicated to advancing policies and programs that improve health around the world. The Council serves and represents thousands of public health professionals from over 150 countries. They work "to improve health globally through increased investment, robust policies and the power of the collective voice.": According to their website the Council "convenes stakeholders around key global health priorities and actively engages key decision makers to influence health policy."
Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Health Care Handbook is a healthcare manual published by Hesperian Health Guides. Based on David Werner's experiences at his Project Piaxtla in western Mexico, it was originally written in 1970 in Spanish as Donde No Hay Doctor. It has since been revised multiple times, sold over one million copies, and been translated into over 100 languages. The book is available for purchase, in either book form or on CD, at Hesperian's bookstore. All chapters can also be downloaded individually free of charge in PDF format.
Yayasan Kemanusiaan Ibu Pertiwi (YKIP), or "Humanitarian Foundation for Mother Earth", is an Indonesian non-profit organization dedicated to helping the needy in Bali through health and education programs. The charity was founded in the wake of the 2002 Bali bombings that left 255 people dead and 446 injured.
The American Foundation for Children with AIDS (AFCA) is a non-profit organization that helps children in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as their guardians, who are HIV positive or who have contracted AIDS and lack access to appropriate medical care. Sub-Saharan Africa has been most affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, given that of all new HIV infections in the world, those in sub-Saharan Africa account for more than two-thirds of that number, as of 2008. In helping to fight the battle against HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, AFCA provides critical antiretroviral medicine and other related medications, medical equipment and supplies, sustainable food solutions for families and institutions helping orphans, emergency supplies needed by the institutions in AFCA's targeted areas, as well as critical support for the prevention of HIV/AIDS, which included training of personnel. Currently, AFCA collaborates with twenty-eight partners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
The Naz Foundation (India) Trust is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in that country that works on HIV/AIDS and sexual health. It is based in the Indian capital of New Delhi.
Stella, l’amie de Maimie is a social justice and a community-based organization established and run “by and for” sex workers in Montreal. Also known as "Chez Stella", this community-based resource offers information for any woman-identified sex worker; be they street workers, escorts, strippers, employees of massage parlors, porn actresses, erotic phone entertainers.
Disability and Development Partners (DDP) is a UK charitable company limited by guarantee that works with local partners in South Asia and Africa. "DDP works in a holistic way, recognizing the correlation between poverty and disability and the importance of tackling social, economic and human rights issues through access to income generation and education opportunities as well as providing physical rehabilitation services."
The Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) is an international, faith-based NGO, providing long-term, co-operative medical and development aid to communities affected by poverty and healthcare issues. It was established in 1912 and officially registered in 1928. CMMB is headquartered in New York City, USA, and currently has country offices in Haiti, Kenya, Peru, South Sudan, and Zambia.
People with disability in Zambia face many unique challenges. The country has been passing laws and policies to help people with disabilities in Zambia, however, social stigma and other factors sometimes interfere in people being able to access services and assistance. In addition, the HIV epidemic in Zambia also has a significant impact on the lives of people with disabilities.
Around 35,000 people in Belize have a disability. There are efforts to raise awareness about people with disabilities in Belize and counter social stigma. Several non-governmental organizations, including Special Olympics, help increase awareness and the government sponsors an annual Disability Week. Services for people with disabilities is limited and most areas of the country have limited accessibility.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a population of about 1.4 million deaf people out of a total population of about 86.7 million. The World Health Organization (WHO) claims that countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are one of the more greatly affected regions by hard-of-hearing complications, compared to the rest of the world. Deaf people in the DRC are subject to neglect and discrimination by their families and the government, but they are also met with small, various ways of support and charity through international, European, Australian, and American religious, non-religious, and governmental organizations.
