We would like to thank Julie and the entire OGACHI team for their unwavering efforts to plan and rearrange our travel to Nicaragua. After the Nicaraguan government updated their travel document requirements a few days before departure, they worked tirelessly to obtained the necessary credentials so our trip could continue a few days later without a hitch. After 23 hours of travel, we arrived safety in Managua, Nicaragua and were warmly greeted at the airport by the Dean of UPOLI. After a much-needed night of sleep, we arrived at the beautiful UPOLI campus in the heart of the capital. After meeting the nursing faculty and students, Instructor Georgina gave a thorough presentation on the current health situation in Nicaragua.
We learned that many of their top health concerns paralleled those in the United States, including Diabetes and Hypertension. In addition, they struggle with mosquito borne diseases such as Zika and Dengue Fever. We were surprised to learn that injuries and deaths due to motor vehicle accidents are highly prevalent and that new cases of HIV have been increasing rapidly within the last five years. We toured the local community clinic, Centro de Salud Villa Libertad, where fifteen doctors and twenty-six nurses serve over 133,000 people. After an authentic local lunch, we received a tour of UPOLI with the Director of International Affairs, Joseph. That evening we discovered that Nicaraguan beer is exceptionally delicious! We had a great time meeting the UPOLI students we will be working along with and cannot wait to see what the next nine days have in store for us! Hasta manana!