The provincial health care offices in the Dominican Republic do not always function adequately. The objective of the project to develop a community health care service model in Samaná Province, and adopt UNAP (Unidad de Atención Primaria or Primary Health Care Unit) system to provide appropriate services to residents, particularly infants and mothers, to advance disease prevention and health.
Under the project, UNAPs train nurses and other health care professionals, so that they can provide quality integrated services for preventive inoculation, development checkups and examinations before and after labor. Additional measures under the project include improving the administration of the UNAPs and strengthening ties to the community.
Mother and Child Health Handbooks created in this project are in use at targeted UNAPs. The handbooks are expected to promote services for preventative health and health maintenance for infants and mothers.