Health Centers: One of the Keys to Eradicating Poverty

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-ruxin/health-centers-one-of-the_b_279829.html

While Garth Brooks may be best known for his country music, he is also a devoted philanthropist. Through the joint efforts of his Teammates For Kids Foundation and Rwanda Works, the critical message that poverty and health are directly related is about to be demonstrated in a very tangible way. The world's poorest citizens simply can't build better lives or look forward to future prosperity unless they are healthy enough to learn, to work, and to grow.

The people of Ngeruka, Rwanda, are a case in point. Located in Bugesera district, the epicenter of Rwanda's genocide, Ngeruka is a rural community that faces an array of health problems compounded by the fact that there is merely one, small four-room health post servicing the entire community. Nearly 50 percent of kids are underweight or malnourished. More than one-tenth of children here die before their fifth birthday. Those who survive the first five years of life still have to contend with malaria, respiratory and diarrheal illnesses, and parasites such as intestinal worms that exacerbate poor nutrition and lead to learning deficits and high rates of school absenteeism. These illnesses are preventable and treatable as long as children have access to quality primary health care, but can lead to severe disability and even death if basic health services are financially or geographically inaccessible.