Supporting Health Care Access for Vulnerable Venezuelans
The crisis in Venezuela—including significant shortages of medicines and medical supplies—has contributed to the emigration of more than 4.3 million Venezuelans worldwide. As of August, approximately 1.4 million Venezuelans were residing in Colombia, more than any other country.
The influx of Venezuelans, as well as Colombians returning to Colombia from Venezuela, has strained Colombia’s health care system. While the nearly 666,000 Venezuelans without formal migration status are able to access emergency health care services in Colombia, many individuals with chronic illnesses are unable to afford essential medicines and services.
Veronica is one of many Venezuelans who migrated to Colombia to access health care services. After suffering a serious asthma attack in Venezuela, Veronica feared for her life because she was unable to get the care and medication she needed. She left everything behind and headed to Colombia. ´
Through an Americares clinic in Colombia’s Atlántico Department supported by USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), she was able to obtain medication to control her asthma. She was also treated for bronchitis and received psychosocial support.
“I was in a tremendous depression and the psychologist [at the Americares clinic] helped me. I feel more confident, more secure…I have been treated wonderfully,” Veronica stated. Veronica now regularly goes to the USAID/OFDA-supported clinic to meet her health care needs, improving her quality of life in Colombia.
With USAID/OFDA support, Americares has operated clinics in Colombia’s Arauca,
Atlántico, La Guajira, and Norte de Santander departments since 2018, providing vulnerable Venezuelans with basic health care services, including health consultations, medications, and psychosocial support. The organization also partners with local health facilities and operates mobile health units. To date, Americares has conducted more than 88,000 health consultations for Venezuelans in the four departments.