Healthcare in Crisis: The Impact of Bolivia’s Economic and Political Turmoil

Bolivia is facing an economic and political crisis that is hitting its people especially hard, with soaring inflation driving up the cost of living. Inflation, combined with import scarcity, is disrupting daily life—including access to healthcare. More patients than ever are avoiding medical care because they cannot afford it. Others wait until their conditions are advanced—when they are harder to treat. This delay has led to an increase in severe cases and worsened treatment outcomes.

Solidarity BridgeJune 6, 2025Equipping, Bolivia, EconomyComment

Promoting National Stroke Planning in Paraguay

Patients suffering strokes and aneurysms in Paraguay may wait months or years for treatment due to a lack of essential but highly specialized endovascular supplies. A generous donation by Stryker delivered during our June mission trip to Asunción is helping make neuro-endovascular care accessible for many such patients.

Medical Mission Trip BlogLindsay DoucetteSeptember 15, 2023Stroke, NNI, Neuro Feature, Neurosurgery & Neurology Institute, EquippingComment

Surgical programs restocked!

Our latest maritime shipment took just 34 days to deliver 8+ tons of medical equipment and supplies from Springfield, Illinois, to Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Updates from the SB TeamJodi GrahlAugust 10, 2023EquippingComment

Sisters in Solidarity

At our 2023 FIESTA Gala, we are honored to recognize an organization that has done more than any other to help us advance our vision that medical professionals have the necessary resources to serve their communities in Bolivia and Paraguay.

Updates from the SB TeamSolidarity BridgeApril 18, 2023Jodi Grahl, Solidarity Award, EquippingComment

Wholeheartedly Cliza-bound!

There is growing consensus that pre-travel preparation is one of the most important practices for a successful global health mission. This fall, we are offering our preparation curriculum via an online learning platform tailored to each team, specific to their host community and medical specialties.

Medical Mission Trip BlogAnn RhombergSeptember 22, 2022MSMT 2022, Cliza, Ann Rhomberg, EquippingComment

New partnership supports Bolivians living with ostomies

The needs of surgical patients continue far beyond their time in the hospital. Many treated for conditions including birth defects, abdominal trauma, Chagas disease, or colon cancer may need to live temporarily or permanently with an ostomy. Increasing access to ostomy supplies is critical both for medical reasons and to preserve the dignity of patients.

Updates from the SB TeamJodi GrahlJune 17, 2022EquippingComment

Travel Resumes: a privileged opportunity for deep human connectedness

By physically traveling to Sucre, we channeled skills and resources that would be otherwise unavailable to our partner surgeons and their patients. Patients like Sergio, a thirty-two-year-old intensive therapy resident and father of two.

Supplies Arrive as Pandemic Surges in Paraguay

Our shipment of supplies arrived in Paraguay as the pandemic began to surge. The delivery was presented to the hospital as small source of solidarity and support in the midst of growing health crisis.

More Donations Fast-Tracked to Bolivia

Filling a 40-foot shipping container with medical supplies is a significant undertaking, but it is also the most efficient and effective way to addres the urgent needs of our partners and patients.

Updates from the SB TeamSolidarity BridgeFebruary 21, 2021coronavirus, covidresponse, Equipping Comment

Protecting and Resourcing Our Frontline Partners

Delivering critical medical supplies to our Bolivian partners has been a key theme within our COVID response. Thanks to a generous donation by LTA Research and Exploration, more than 50,000 face shields are being distributed to medical workers on the front lines of this public health emergency.

Updates from the SB TeamSolidarity BridgeJanuary 12, 2021coronavirus, EquippingComment

The Edges are the Center

As the government response has focused on large institutions, Puente de Solidaridad has directed a number of our supplies to smaller organizations known for working at the edges of society.

Updates from the SB TeamSolidarity BridgeAugust 17, 2020covidresponse, Equipping, Mission & IdentityComment

Swift Supply Distribution Saves Lives

A 40-foot container filled with medical supplies arrived to our warehouse, and life-saving supply distributions began only three days later.

Updates from the SB TeamSolidarity BridgeAugust 11, 2020coronavirus, covidresponse, EquippingComment

Donations Directed to Hot Zone in Beni

This month we have sent three shipments of supplies to cities in Beni, one of the Bolivian regions hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Updates from the SB TeamSolidarity BridgeJune 9, 2020coronavirus, covidresponse, EquippingComment

Critical Equipment Sets Sail

A 40-foot shipping container departed Illinois, this month. Its carrying 15,856 pounds of medical donations to be delivered to our warehouse in Cochabamba, Bolivia, for use in our surgical programs, distribution to our partner hospitals, and direct material support for patients.

Updates from the SB TeamSolidarity BridgeMay 26, 2020Jodi Grahl, coronavirus, EquippingComment

Bolivian Quarantine Update

In the fight against the coronavirus, Bolivia has now adopted a three tier system for quarantine, designating each locality as Low, Medium, or High Risk and applying restrictions accordingly. The crisis remains very serious and yet, our work must continue.

Updates from the SB TeamSolidarity BridgeMay 20, 2020coronavirus, covidreality, EquippingComment

BLOG