Roatan Health Assistance Project
Health care in a global neighborhood.
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About Us

The Roatan Health Assistance Project (RHAP) is a pending 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established to promote awareness about healthcare conditions and to provide efficient medical assistance to the underserved people and community of Roatan, Honduras.
The Facts:
• Roatan is one of the territory Bay Islands of Honduras, located off the coast of Central America
• Population: 60,000
• Over 65% of the population lives in poverty
• 1 in 4 people earns less than $1 U.S. per day
• Common medical problems: AIDS, malnutrition, respiratory infections, tuberculosis, parasitic infections, malaria, diabetes, scabies, toothaches, etc.
• Honduras has the highest prevalence of HIV infection in Central America
• Roatan currently has only one public hospital, located in the capital city of Coxen Hole
• World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the hospital conditions as unsafe
• Hospital conditions: nonfunctional bathrooms, no running water, limited patient rooms, in need of basic medical supplies...and over half of all births are not attended by skilled health care personnel
The Mission:
“The mission of the Roatan Health Assistance Project is to display and promote volunteerism and social responsibility amongst college students and to contribute to the betterment of health in the global community.”

• Connects three specific groups:
1. 3rd and 4th year pre-health university students who are citizens and residents of the United States
2. The underserved medical community of Roatan
3. Donors who wish to financially support or otherwise aid the two communities

• 2 objectives:
1. Aid and fund Peggy Stranges’ La Clinica Esperanza (Clinic of Hope)
2. Sponsor trips for students to volunteer in Roatan
 

The Foundation:
• Founded by Theresa Tran (University of Dallas) and Michael Sherwin (University of Texas at Austin)
• Established on August 22, 2006
• Creation inspired by Peggy Stranges’ La Clinica Esperanza
• Sponsored the first Roatan service trip for 6 volunteers in Winter 2006
• Main communication form is via website www.roatanhealth.org