Earthquake in Haiti

Many thousands in Haiti are suffering the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck on January the 12th. We are deeply concerned about the victims of this disaster and we urge you to distribute the following health materials in Haitian Creole.

The Creole edition of Where There is No Doctor is now available as a PDF and also as a printed book through our partners: The World Resource Distributers (tel: 417-862-4448). Haitian Creole editions of the Sanitation and Cleanliness booklet produced by our partners SOIL, and Where Women Have No Doctor are also available on our free downloads page, along with other resources in English and Spanish.

Our deepest sympathies go out to those affected by this disaster. If you are thinking of donating, Hesperian recommends these organizations which have redoubled their work in Haiti to address this most recent catastrophe: Haiti Action Network's Haiti Emergency Relief Fund and Partners in Health.

Bay Area Health and Human Rights Learning Circle

Inspired by the success of the First Annual South Los Angeles Health and Human Rights Conference last June, Hesperian is helping to launch a Bay Area health and human rights learning circle. We will meet for several months to use articles, personal experience, and other forms of media to learn more about the health and human rights approach, hoping to build and strengthen a community of allies. This includes people who work in public health as well as any people who believe that creating healthy communities is essential to building a more just world. Everyone’s experience is welcome!

Please visit http://hhrlearningcircle.wetpaint.com/ to learn more and sign up to participate.

New, updated printing of A Book For Midwives now in our warehouse!

Originally published in 1995, A Book for Midwives has proved a vital resource for practicing midwives and midwifery training programs around the world. The 2010 edition is now available and has been extensively updated and revised to better support care during labor and to reflect new WHO/UNICEF guidelines and standards for mothers and newborns.

Updates include new information about treatment and medication for HIV and other STIs; vaccinations, medications, and drug interactions; infection prevention; improved methods for dealing with complicated deliveries; and new and updated information on family planning. What has not changed is the accessible, compassionate, and comprehensive nature of this well-illustrated guide to pregnancy, birth, and women’s health.

Hesperian's 2008-2009 Annual Report just released!

Hesperian has just completed our Annual Report for the 2008-09 year, and we are grateful to the hundreds of partners and supporters who have made the work inside its pages possible. From remote villages to the international stage of the Clinton Global Initiative, Hesperian’s work this year has made tremendous advances for the primary health care movement.

Click on the cover to read about our accomplishments and the incredible reach of Hesperian materials over the past year!

Where There Is No Doctor and Donde no hay doctor now on CD!

Hesperian is happy to announce that we are releasing a CD version of Where There Is No Doctor / Donde no hay doctor. The CD contains hi-res and low-res pdfs of the entire contents in both English and Spanish, exactly as they appear in the books. Ideal for travelers, Doctor and Donde in CD format is compact, lightweight, printable, and downloadable, making it easier than ever to share, whether you are a health worker, trainer, teacher, or just a supporter of equal access to health for all people.

Now available: the new, US edition of Setting Up Community Health Programmes

Hesperian is pleased to announce a new book we distribute on our Health and Empowerment Bookshelf, the third, fully revised edition of Setting Up Community Health Programmes by Ted Lankester ($30), is now available. From locating in a community to obtaining funds, from diagnosis to planning to budgeting, Setting Up Community Health Programmes provides detailed, evidence-based advice about establishing health clinics and programs.

Designed for both rural and urban sites, this book includes lists of the essentials for programs addressing specific health problems, such as childhood nutrition, immunization, maternity programs, HIV and AIDS clinics, and more. Illustrated with over 250 photographs, drawings, diagrams, and tables, this book is a lively, accessible, and relevant tool to equip health workers at all levels with the basics they need to get their programs started. Setting Up Community Health Programmes is an excellent supplement to the methods and ideas presented in Hesperian’s Helping Health Workers Learn, which promotes a people-centered approach to health care to make programs successful and sustainable as they strengthen the communities in which they serve.

The Story of Stuff/ The Story of Cap and Trade

The Story of Stuff DVD has been a hit with teachers, families, church groups, and environmentalists of all ages (click here to watch it in English for free! Also available in Spanish). This 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled DVD exposes the underbelly of our production and consumption patterns, linking environmental and social issues and calling us together to create a more just and sustainable world.

Building on the momentum of The Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard and Free Range Studios have teamed up with Climate Justice Now! and the Durban Group for Climate Justice to bring us The Story of Cap and Trade, a spark to debate the shortcomings of this strategy as a fatally flawed solution to global warming. To watch it for free, click here.

New, updated edition of Disabled Village Children has arrived and is available for free download

The new, updated edition of our benchmark book on community-based rehabilitation, Disabled Village Children, has just arrived in our warehouse, and it’s now available for free download.

Full of practical information, this indispensable book shows how to identify primary and secondary disabilities, the best range-of-motion exercises, how to build 6 different kinds of wheelchairs using local resources, fun and educational toys that children with disabilities can make and use, and more.

Hesperian announces new Health and Empowerment title:
The Barefoot Architect

While working in Mexico in 1982, Johan van Lengen wrote and illustrated Manual del arquitecto descalzo, a comprehensive guide to building simple houses using both traditional and modern methods. The Mexican government was so impressed, they bought 40,000 copies and placed one in every library in the country. The book went on to sell over 200,000 copies in Latin America.

Now available in English for the first time, The Barefoot Architect describes in simple language the process of building housing and creating a healthy living environment. Read more about this latest Health and Empowerment bookshelf title on Hesperian's blog!

You Can Get Involved

There are many ways you can get involved and promote Health for All.

If you have a birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion coming up, ask your friends and family to give you a Gift of Health, which will send free life-saving health books in your name to a community that has requested them.

You can volunteer, donate or host a house party to introduce Hesperian to your friends and family.

If you have a blog or website, you can also post a free Hesperian Banner to your website to help raise awareness and support for Hesperian's work!