LHI’s Community Mandate and Public Health Paradigm
The Latin American Health Institute strives to:
- Assist the community in reclaiming its power
- Develop interventions that arise from the will of the community
- Address health issues in relevant, effective, and sustainable ways
LHI programs move families and individuals away from long-term dependence on government and institutions, including LHI. Promoting selfreliance and inter-dependence is the ethical, viable, and acceptable option in all LHI efforts.
LHI:
- Promotes civic participation
- Espouses capacity building
- Supports infrastructure development
- Generates community connectedness
o with program participants
o across specific purposes
o among LHI staff
o between the Institute and the community
o among diverse service providers
LHI’s Public Health Paradigm addresses:
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Social Justice: LHI is committed to extending the potential benefits of health to all groups in society, especially since the burden of disease is unequally distributed.
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Shared Responsibility: LHI recognizes and accepts an inherent social accountability for welfare.
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Community Action: LHI advocates for and facilitates collective self-help efforts to attain sustainable solutions.