As the summer heat sets in and school break continues in the US, the rainy season and the school year are both well underway in Honduras. In Honduras, our essential programs continue to expand and strengthen support for rural communities, and our school lunch program is making a real difference.

At VHC Medical Brigade, we understand that delivering aid to hard-to-reach areas requires more than just goodwill; it requires a deep understanding of the actual needs and the impact of our efforts.

We're making strides in building local medical capacity in Honduras, particularly in the Comayagua region. With the collaboration of first responders, local hospital staff, and doctors from the National University, we've pinpointed critical areas of need in specialized training and equipment.

Our rural health program has traditionally catered to a significant number of women and children, who make up about two-thirds of our clinic visitors. This year, we've significantly enhanced our focus on women's health services.

It was very early in the morning and I was ready to begin an incredible trip up the mountains with Nelson. I've visited mountains throughout my life, loving the views and how colorful everything looks from up there, but what I saw up in the villages with Nelson has been one of the best views I’ve ever seen.

On the 14th of October, 115 Brigade supporters gathered in Northern Virginia to celebrate the remarkable contributions of Dr. Byer from his founding of the VHC Medical Brigade through his decades of compassionate service to the people of Honduras. All of our amazing guests together transformed the evening into something incredibly special for the Byer family.

In early 2023, the VHC Medical Brigade team welcomed a valuable new member, Ivett Ramírez, as our Monitoring and Evaluation Program Officer. Ivett hit the ground running with an ambitious inaugural project – conducting our first annual rural needs assessment in the regions of Comayagua and La Paz.

In the heart of mountainous towns like Los Planes de Esperanza, where hospitals are a daunting four-hour hike away, the concept of immediate medical assistance might seem out of reach. Families facing sickness or injury, particularly those with children or elderly members, find themselves grappling with immense challenges in seeking help.

My name is Ivett Ramírez and I am excited to introduce myself to you as the newest member of the Brigade's Honduras team! I am just finishing my master’s degree in public health and am passionate about making a difference in people’s lives, so I feel lucky to find a job doing what I love.

Our spring medical trip to Honduras was a tremendous success! As part of our International Medical Program, we had a team of 31 medical

As word of a "tripledemic" continues to spread, hospitals in the Americas and Europe are already feeling the strain of increased cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza, and COVID-19 infections. Pediatric hospitals, in particular, are already at or near capacity.

There's nothing more essential than clean water. Access to safe water reduces illnesses and death from diseases, leading to improved health, poverty reduction, and socio-economic development.

Recently, more than 100 men, women, and children received life-changing surgeries during our annual surgical trip to Comayagua. Patients made lengthy, sometimes 12-hour, trips from all over central Honduras to receive free medical care that they otherwise would not have been able to afford.

Recently, at our rural health clinic in Veracruz, a mother came in needing urgent care for her daughter. Struggling to breathe, the three-year-old was immediately examined by Tomasita, who volunteers as a community health worker (CHW) at the clinic.

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (July 14, 2022) – VHC Medical Brigade is proud to announce the recent inauguration of its newest water supply system in Honduras, which will establish sustainable access to safe water and sanitation in the rural, mountain villages of Veracruz and El Tablón.

Dr. Mitchell Davis was a humble yet generous donor whose incredible compassion for people in need greatly expanded the Brigade’s programming in Honduras.

Building health infrastructure takes teamwork – especially when you’re working internationally. Since the Brigade’s founding, in 1999, we’ve worked with partners, hospital officials, and community leaders in Honduras to increase access to healthcare for the underserved and to build up capacity in the existing Honduran medical system.

Many of the rural communities in Honduras lack daily access to clean water. Those with access to local water sources face shortages due to structural failures that shut down distribution for days on end. Others are forced to resort to unclean water sources.

In May, Brigade members, Carrie Alexander, Betty Martin, and Mary Ellen Gannon traveled to Honduras to spend time in the remote villages. After a physical absence since February 2020 due to COVID, the goal was to visit the communities sponsored by the Brigade and provide education to the Community Health Workers.

Recently, the Brigade was invited to a Washington Post Live event featuring conversations with leading health experts on the issues of health equity, vaccine access, and the disparities that have come into focus since the start of the pandemic.