Brazil – Amazon

The Need

In the Amazon, the World Health Organization recently reported a rise in health issues related to basic hygiene, water storage, sanitation, and insect control. Several health disparities exist within this region that illuminate different social determinants of health. For example, incidents of malaria, leishmaniasis, tuberculosis, and leprosy are disproportionately affecting those in lower socioeconomic classes and those who have no access to formal education. International Medical Relief (IMR) works with the community to provide health services and also education in order to help sustain the well-being of the community for the future.

Our primary goal of this trip is to care for patients with treatable and often preventable conditions. As such, much of the relief you provide at clinic will be for people who would have benefited from access to preventable care. At clinic, you will treat conditions related to malaria, dengue fever, leishmaniasis, and more serious tuberculosis. You will also help treat conditions of non-communicable diseases, including personal violence, alcoholism, hypertension, diabetes, and smoking-related illness. In addition, our IMR volunteer veterans report treating snake and piranha bites, fungal infections, and ear infections.

You and the rest of the volunteer team will also educate locals on how to stay healthy and how to care for their loved ones. One of the main focuses of this mission is dentistry. Because all community members are encouraged to attend, the demand for dental care will be high. Another main focus of this mission is women’s healthcare. We will provide general women’s and infant care, as well as strengthen the knowledge and skills of the local midwives.

Our Work

International Medical Relief began serving Brazil in 2010 providing community health training, medical treatments, medical supplies and equipment, and clinic operations. Since then, we have served more than 7,000 patients with nearly 350 staff and volunteers. IMR is able to provide house calls, which allows the IMR team to understand their patients and the community they are serving. Being part of the IMR team means gaining an understanding of the specific lifestyles their patients have, which allows for better health education that fits the communities specific needs. IMR continues to provide sustainable health care and education to communities in Brazil.

With diligent planning and preparation, IMR is dedicated to ensuring that specific goals are met on our missions, each in correlation to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3, 6, and 17.

IMR works to elevate vulnerable populations through shoulder-to-shoulder care with our local partners, creating workforce density, and a cadre of future healthcare and public health leaders in association to UNSDG 3: Good Health & Wellbeing.

Our medical mission teams also work toward UNSDG 6: Clean Water & Sanitation by supporting and strengthening the participation of local communities in improving their water quality, and installing water filtration systems that supply communities with clean drinking water and providing education on hydration and hygiene.

In correlation with UNSDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, our organization works in collaboration and at the request of local hosts where we are under their direct influence and affluence. IMR never goes into a country without a formal invitation where there is a great community need for medical or dental care, and health education.

This Mission

During your time in Brazil, you will become intimately familiar with all the Amazon region has to offer.

Your team will live and work on the Amazon River, which means every day will bring breathtaking sunrises and sunsets and exposure to biodiversity. The demographic density in the Amazon region of Brazil is quite low, which means that many areas lack access to basic health care services and facilities.

You and the rest of the volunteer team will also educate locals on how to stay healthy and how to care for their loved ones. One of the main focuses of this mission is dentistry. Because all community members are encouraged to attend, the demand for dental care will be high. Another main focus of this mission is women’s healthcare. We will provide general women’s and infant care, as well as strengthen the knowledge and skills of the local midwives.

You will be provided with extensive public health information to help you provide the best care possible for your patients, including statistics from past IMR teams. The remote river communities will welcome your team with open arms, a plea for care, and a friendly “obrigado” (Portuguese for “thank you”) upon your departure.

Lodging/Transportation

You and your team will live on a riverboat and set up a full medical and dental clinic in remote villages along the water’s edge. Without IMR, these villages have no other means of healthcare. Upon returning to your private riverboat each night, you will be welcomed with a feast of local cuisine and opportunities for stargazing, crocodile hunting, hammock swinging, and much, much more. After a dinner of local delicacies and remarkable desserts, the boat will make ready for your departure to the next clinic site while you take a hot shower under the stars and prepare for a wonderful night’s sleep without bugs or cares. Enthusiastic crowds will gather at every stop, and children will peer through every crack as they anxiously wait their turn for care and hugs from the IMR team. 

Highlights

Simply being in the Amazon, living on a riverboat, and caring for people with very limited access to care may be enough, but there is still more to see! Your team will have some time to discover Manaus, including the renowned opera house, Teatro Amazonas (the #1 rated place to visit in Manaus according to TripAdvisor!), the handicrafts market, and the Rio Negro Palace. You may also have the opportunity to explore the rainforest and “hunt” for caimans, explore the villages where you will work, and experience life aboard, steaming up and down the Amazon. Every IMR team member who has “taken the boat” will tell you – this trip is best!

Don’t leave your camera home on this trip! There is a beautiful photo in your future – sunrises and sunsets on the Amazon, pink dolphins (watch the river for smooth shiny water and you’ll be sure to find them), wonderful riverfront stores and homes, and beautiful, laughing children and families!

Extend Your Stay

You’re journeying across the globe. Why not extend your stay in Brazil to experience some of the top tourist attractions of the amazing city of Rio de Janeiro? Join us on an exclusive trip extension provided by our partner, Worldwide Navigators! Contact Worldwide Navigators to book an extension or get more information.

Highlights:

• Go inland! You’ll find streets lined with luxury fashion boutiques, fine dining restaurants, and bars playing Bossa Nova.
• Summit Sugarloaf Mountain, which boasts wildly spectacular views of Guanabara Bay and the city of Rio.
• Experience Brazilian culture with a percussion class, samba dancing, and dinner with a festival-themed show.

See the Extensions tab on this page for details on this amazing experience!

Itinerary at a Glance