Monte Plata, Dominican Republic – January 30, 2008. – Hundreds of people gathered in the municipality of Monte Plata to celebrate the opening of the “National Year for Health Promotion,” during which a ceremony and parade were carried out through the town.

BRA Dominicana (BRA) led the march with the Provincial Department of Health and diverse non-governmental organizations, taking part in the event to create consciousness and promote health and healthy living.

In accordance with the Millennium Development Goals, BRA continues to develop permanent projects in medical attention, prevention and health promotion in more than 60 bateyes and rural communities in the province. The programs include comprehensive care for children, prevention of tuberculosis, prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV, family planning, immunizations, attention to hypertension, and prevention of cervical-uterine cancer.

BRA develops home visits and educational activities, training approximately 120 community health promoters and educating more than 500 patients each week, all of whom receive quality services from the organization’s Medical Clinic and the Healthcare Center.

BRA has been working on a campaign to change health behaviors by educating communities about issues of blindness, malnutrition, infectious diseases, parasites, STI/HIV/AIDS, dengue, leptospirosis, among others.

BRA collaborates with strategic partners like the Clinton Foundation, the Dominican State Department for the Control of STI/HIV/AIDS (DIGECITTS), Population Services International, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), ADEMI, the Presidential Commission for AIDS (COPRESIDA), the Canadian Fund for local initiatives, the Presbyterian Church USA, among others.

For more information, please contact the executive director of BRA Dominicana, Maria Virtudes Berroa, at (809) 540-4947 or bradominicana@codetel.net.do. In order to learn more about the humanitarian work of BRA, please visit the website: www.bateyrelief.org/bradominicana.