Medical Peace Work Case: Sugarcane Workers in Nicaragua
2015
This is a case invites discussion on the impact of working conditions and other social determinants on health, based on the plight of sugarcane workers in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua. In this case, Dr Marta Mejia, notices the high ratio of young men presenting with chronic kidney disease, and discovers that that many are sugar cane workers and may would soon need dialysis. Concerned that their working conditions were linked to the symptoms, and that they had no other job possibilities, Dr Mejia contacts a dedicated non-governmental organization (NGO) that has organized a protest on their behalf. As the protest turned violent and with no improvement in conditions for her patients, she was left with the question of what she could do for them. The case study is freely available online. A teaching note is available to registered educators and PhD students through the Case Centre.
Medical Peace Work (MPW) cases are developed by a transnational cooperation between medical organizations, teaching institutions, and related partners with expertise in health work, violence prevention, and peace building. MPW also offers a number of online courses and a collection of teaching resources for medical peace education.
Medical Peace Work Case: Sugarcane Workers in Nicaragua
Source:
Conrad C and H. Lehner. The Price of Unhealthy Working Conditions: Sugarcane Workers in Nicaragua. Medical Peace Work case study 03 (MPW3-15-03). Medical Peace Work 2015. http://www.medicalpeacework.org/teaching-resources.html.