In this issue...

hile we are only a month into the 2009 school year, we are already facing some signifi cant challenges…

A severe outbreak of dengue fever, which is transmitted by a Mosquito bite, continues to affect many of our students and their families. This year, Bolivia is suffering its worst outbreak in over a decade. Prensa Latina, a Latin American News Agency, estimates that over 40,000+ people are currently infected, and The Latin American Herald Tribune quotes experts who believe the illness could affect as many as 50,000 people by the end of March.

The majority of the sick are located in the region of Santa Cruz, which is where our school is located. Currently, two of our staff members and over a 1/3 of our students have the disease. The school has been fumigated, but Dengue remains a serious threat.

According to BBC news, dengue is the most widespread tropical disease after malaria. The disease causes a very high fever, severe headaches, and joint and muscle pain. A deadly hemorrhagic variant of the disease causes violent internal bleeding and swift fl uid loss, which can lead to a sudden painful death if not treated in time. Several deaths have already been reported this year. Unfortunately, there is no preventative vaccine or drug for the disease.

In addition to dengue, our students have a variety of health issues. Our staff doctor, Dr. Edwin Escalante,closely monitors the health of the students and addresses the usual share of dental, parasitic, and

continued on page 2...