Latin America and the Caribbean has a population of approximately 550 million people. So, almost twice the size of the United States. However, most of these countries are third world countries with health care standards miles below ours.
In the US there are roughly 5000 certified Orthotic and Prosthetic (O&P) Practitioners. O&P is one of the so-called Allied Health disciplines, that does not involved medical school but is still necessary for care of patients. In Latin America there are roughly 150 certified practitioners. The number of people with unmet needs in these countries is huge; estimates say that roughly 2 million people are living in pain because they don't have access to O&P care.
Why is this such a problem? There is only one school in Latin America that is an accredited program, and it graduates only 20 students a year.
I'm part of a team at my school that is helping new program in Colombia. Their program is not yet accredited, but we're hoping that through our work it will be closer by the end of this year.
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