Vulnerable Populations in times of Covid-19

Redacción:Lida, Carme Jovle
Coordinara del Programa de Acompañamiento y Mitigación

There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic is a public health problem affecting everyone on planet earth, especially vulnerable populations such as people living with HIV, persons gender non-binary, persons deprived of their liberty and women from impoverished and oppressive environments. Ongoing discrimination and stigma is even more painful when one can’t even access their required healthcare services; increasing difficulty for person’s gender non-conforming as there are no health care specialists or clinics to attend their specific health care needs in El Salvador, only if they are living with HIV.
Characteristically, the Association CoCoSI has always worked with vulnerable populations that suffer Human Rights violations. The Covid-19 pandemic has created barriers to come into direct contact with clients and activity participants. Now, CoCoSI is performing a role of social comptroller, heightening communication with the National Hospitals of Sensuntepeque and Cojutepeque, also the Central Prison of Sensuntepeque to continue monitoring health conditions and confirm that measures are being taken to guarantee access to required medications and quality health care for persons living with HIV and persons deprived of their liberty.
With the goal to minimize Covid-19 exposure to persons with already compromised immune systems the HIV Clinic in the Sensuntepeque Hospital San Gerónimo Emiliani has taken some positive action by prescribing 2 months of ARV (antiretroviral) medications to their patients and now allowing trusted family members or friends to pick up their medications to minimize travel and exposure.
Other measures adopted by CoCoSI are to maintain telephone contact with clients living with HIV to provide psychosocial support and raise awareness emphasizing preventive measures required during this emergency to protect themselves, their families and communities.
Conversations via telephone with the Director of the Sensuntepeque Penal Center has clarified that strong measures are being taken with to prevent COVID-19. The Director expressed that the leadership of CoCoSI and Ministry of Health trained inmate peer-facilitators (health care educators) has greatly supported these prevention efforts in the face of this pandemic. These peer-facilitators are in charge of raising awareness and educating other persons deprived of their liberty.
CoCoSI’s cooperative social monitoring of the government institutions we coordinate with supports the employees, health care workers and prison personnel while securing human rights for exposed and defenseless people.