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Catholic Healthcare. Intermountain Health. (n.d.). https://www.sclhealth.org/about/catholic-care/#:~:text=The%20Catholic%20understanding%20of%20healthcare,physical%2C%20mental%20and%20spiritual%20healing.

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Project, B. (2018, August 12). Six facts about healthcare in Honduras. The Borgen Project. https://borgenproject.org/healthcare-in-honduras/

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Global Health Student Explores Religion’s Influence on Health in Honduras. (2013, March 21). Duke Global Health Institute. https://globalhealth.duke.edu/news/global-health-student-explores-religions-influence-health-honduras

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Religion and Healthcare: The Importance of Cultural Sensitivity. (2020, December 29). AdventHealth University. https://www.ahu.edu/blog/religion-and-healthcare-the-importance-of-cultural-sensitivity#:~:text=Catholic%20Religion%20and%20Healthcare&text=Individuals%20are%20obligated%20to%20attend,and%20blood%20transfusions%20are%20acceptable.

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Prioritizing care according to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is key, as many physiological needs(homelessness, hunger/thirst, adequate clothing) will need to be address before safety needs(case management for additional resources).

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"...punishment from God for sin has no influence on causing illness, but faith and prayer are a sure way to cure illness." (Duke Global Health Institute, 2010).

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Road sign in Honduras. Editorial credit: RaksyBH / Shutterstock.com.

Honduras is a Central American country. It is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Honduras was part of Spain's extensive empire in the New World. The country covers an area of 112,090 km ² and has population of approximately 8,866,351 inhabitants. Its capital city is Tegucigalpa. The official and most widely spoken language in Honduras is Spanish. In fact, Honduras is sometimes referred to as Spanish Honduras. The population of Honduras is made up of about 18,000-70,000 hearing impaired persons. They use the Honduran Sign Language to communicate.

Indigenous Languages Of Honduras

According to the world's Ethnologue, there are 10 languages spoken in Honduras. Out of these, there are five indigenous languages which are often spoken. They include Garifuna, Miskito, Sumo, Pech, and Jicaque. The Garifuna is spoken by about 100,000 Hondurans of the Garifuna population. Garifuna is affiliated to the Arawakan dialect and also contains borrowed Carib and European dialects.

Miskitu (Miskito) is a language spoken by the mesoamerican ethnic group. Approximately 29,000 Hondurans speak Miskito. Pech is part of the Paya languages. It has its origin in Chibcha, but is also considered by linguists to be an isolated language. The people who speak Pech call themselves "pech" meaning "people." However, they refer to people who speak other languages as "pech-akuá" which means "other people." Less than 1,000 people in Honduras speak Pech. The Sumo people are of South American origin.

Immigrant languages Spoken In Honduras

Immigrant languages in Honduras are Arabic, Armenian, Turkish, and Yue Chinese. Arabic is the most widely spoken immigrant languages. About 42,000 of the Honduras population speaks Arabic. The numbers of people who speak Armenian, Turkish, and Yue Chinese are 1,300, 900, and 1,000 respectively. Another immigrant language which is spoken by inhabitants of Bay Islands is Creole English.

Spanish: The Official Language Of Honduras

The Spanish language spoken by the Hondurans was passed to them by the colonialists many years ago. The language is used for government and business official transactions. Furthermore, the language used for instruction in educational institutions is Spanish. The Spanish spoken in Honduras is similar to that spoken in El Savador and Nicaragua. Today, the widely spoken language in Honduras is the Castilian language. This is a variation of the Spanish language which was born in the region of Castilla. Sometimes it may be referred to as Castilian Spanish.

Extinct Languages Of Honduras

Over the years, some of the Honduran indigenous languages have become extinct. Examples of such languages are Ch'orti' and Matagalpa. The Lencan languages were widely spoken in Honduras in the pre-colonial period. However, today it is in danger of extinction with only 300-594 people speaking it. The Lencan language was highly organized. It had a polytheistic religion where gods were hierarchically organized. Most of the people who speak Lencan are located in the western department of Honduras such as the Lempira, La Paz, and Intibuca. Besides the Lencan languages, other indigenous languages that may be extinct soon include Mayangna (spoken by less than 1000 people), Tol (spoken by less than 500 people), and Mayan (spoken by about 50 people).

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Honduras is a Central American country. It is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Honduras was part of Spain's extensive empire in the New World. The country covers an area of 112,090 km 2 and has population of approximately 8,866,351 inhabitants.

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Official Language: Spanish

There are 10 languages spoken in Honduras including Garifuna, Miskito, Sumo, Pech and Jicaque.

Dominant Religion: Catholicism

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Official Name: Republic of Honduras
Capital: Tegucigalpa
Official Language: Spanish
Geography: Boarded by Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador.
Popular Foods: Cassava (tapioca), seafood and Chili Peppers.
Popular Sport: Soccer
Western music and movies are common forms of entertainment.
In 1998, Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras, claiming more than 5,000 lives and causing billions in damage. Political instability troubles the country.

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Christopher Columbus discovered Honduras in the 16th century, then home to the Maya and other indigineous people, and his discovery was soon followed by a Spanish conquest of the country.

In the early 19th century, Honduras gained independence from Spain and briefly became part of Mexico before joining the newly-formed United Provinces of Central America.

Following some political instability in the early 20th century, the United States took action to protect its investment of banana crops in the country.

In 1969, while Honduras was under military rule, a brief but serious war broke out with El Salvador as a result of a dispute over immigration and the lack of a clearly defined border between the two countries. Two decades later, Honduras returned to civilian rule and an agreement was reached with El Salvador.

In 1998, Hurricane Mitch took the lives of more than 5,000 people in Honduras and caused billions of dollars in damage. Political instability continues to trouble the country, with another military coup taking place as recently as 2009.

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Honduras Country Profile - National Geographic Kids

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Christopher Columbus discovered Honduras in the 16th century, then home to the Maya and other indigineous people, and his discovery was soon followed by a Spanish conquest of the country. In the early 19th century, Honduras gained independence from Spain and briefly became part of Mexico before joining the newly-formed United Provinces of Central America.

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Access to healthcare is determined by poverty level, socioeconomic status, and geographical location. Approximately 66% of the population lives in poverty (The Brogen Project, 2018).

Another huge barrier to receiving adequate healthcare is the lack of physicians. There are just over 3,200 physicians in Honduras, equating to 0.37 physicians per 1,000 patients. To put that into perspective, there are over 1 million physicians in the US, roughly averaging 1 doctor to 300 patients.

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"Data suggests religious Hondurans are more likely to use prayer as a substitute for medical treatment." (Duke Global Health Institute, 2010).

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There are high rates of Malaria and Yellow fever in Honduras, Travelers are encouraged to get vaccinated and practice proper health precautions.

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Yellow Fever Vaccine & Malaria Prevention Information, by Country

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Information about how to order the U.S. government publication about traveling titled &quot;Health Information for International Travel&quot; (also called the &quot;Yellow Book&quot;). Provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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More than 1 billion people globally are immigrants, refugees, and migrants, which is 1 in 7 of the global population 1. Immigrants, refugees, and migrants are individuals who moved from one place to another. However, their reason for leaving (voluntarily or involuntarily) and the length of time they plan to stay in their new destination (temporarily or permanently) distinguishes them. Refugee, immigrant, and migrant communities, also known as RIM communities, are often unequally affected by economic, social, and other obstacles to health and healthcare.

An individual admitted to the United States (or any other country) as a lawful permanent resident. Permanent residents are also commonly referred to as immigrants. However, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) defines an immigrant as any person legally admitted for permanent residence in the United States, except for persons legally admitted under specific nonimmigrant categories (INA section 101(a)(15)).

Any person who is outside of the country of their nationality or, does not have a nationality, or is outside the country where they last lived and who is unable or unwilling to return to and unable or unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of that country because of persecution, or a well-founded fear of persecution, on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. According to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), a "refugee" does not include any person who ordered, incited, assisted or otherwise participated in the persecution of any person on these same grounds.

Most refugees resettled to the United States are referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Other refugees apply directly to the United States for resettlement and may be accepted under programs for specific populations. Refugees are required to apply for Lawful Permanent Resident status one year after entry into and physical presence in the United States.

A person who moves away from their place of usual residence, whether within a country or across an international border, temporarily or permanently. People migrate for a variety of reasons. The term "migrant" is defined by the International Organization for Migration as an umbrella term and is not defined under international law. It includes several well-defined legal categories of people, such as migrant workers and international students.

Promoting Health Equity

RIM communities include people from diverse regions of the world with different backgrounds and experiences. Immigrants, refugees, and migrants, especially if recently resettled in the U.S., may face many health disparities.

Factors leading to these disparities may include:

lack of health insurance

barriers to access to quality healthcare

workplace conditions

education

income and wealth gaps

Promoting health equity for immigrants, refugees, and migrants helps protect RIM populations and the communities they settle in.

Making a Healthier and Safer World

CDC works to promote and improve the health of immigrants, refugees, and migrants globally. This helps prevent the importation of infectious diseases into the U.S. by:

CDC also works with partners to connect mobile populations with domestic resources to ensure a continuum of care that helps them live healthy, active, and productive lives in their new communities. Learn more about what community- and faith-based organizations, employers, healthcare systems and providers, public health agencies, policy makers, and others can do to promote fair access to health, improve opportunity, and ensure RIM communities thrive.

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Introduction to CDC's Immigrant and Refugee Health page. As a world leader in health promotion and disease prevention, CDC works with immigrant, refugee, and migrant groups to improve their health.

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The Catholic understanding of healthcare is rooted in the scriptural meaning of Jesus' healing, serving, and helping those  who are sick and in need (Intermountain Health, 2023).

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Being that Catholicism is the most common practicing faith, men and women are expected to attend Mass weekly. The Sacrament of the Sick is key for those who fall ill (Advent Health University, 2020)

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Cultural literacy and understanding Catholic religion when addressing healthcare needs.