Barranquitas, Maracaibo

• Population: 6.264 in census – Regional Health System.
• 76  HD families identified, 13 families with more than 1 member affected (total current HD manifest individuals = 98). A full census is ongoing through local patient association (Avenhun Zulia). estimated prevalence for at-risk individuals is 1-5% of the total population.
• Needs:
  • Housing
  • Local hospice for general medical care
  • Social spaces for youth
  • Basic needs: Food, clothes, wheelchairs, diapers, etc.
  • Schooling programs
  • Microcredits

Barranquitas is approximately 4 hours by car from the city of Maracaibo. The roads are not paved during long stretches, and there is a lack of access to adequate medical care in this area. Most people live from fishing in the lake Maracaibo. Flooding is seasonal, and housing conditions are mostly inadequate.

Pictures below were taken during our visit in March 2013. We held a meeting with the local communities, to inform them of Factor-H and of recent advances in research to find treatments for Huntington’s disease. The picture on the right shows an at-risk woman speaking out during our meeting.