Enhancing Community Access to Health Resources through Student-Driven Mapping and Engagement in Bajo Boulogne, Argentina

Abstract

This paper describes a community-based educational experience in Bajo Boulogne, a disadvantaged neighborhood in the wealthy municipality of San Isidro, Greater Buenos Aires. Within the framework of the Community-Oriented Primary Care (APOC) program at the Hospital Italiano University, a group of medical students carried out weekly coursework over three years in a local educational support center. By engaging directly with children, families, and teachers, they identified key health and social problems and co-developed interventions such as dengue prevention campaigns, violence prevention workshops, and health communication channels. A central outcome was the creation of a comprehensive resource guide that mapped over 20 local services, including health centers, pharmacies, mental health facilities, and social programs, which significantly improved community access and utilization. The initiative fostered student learning grounded in practice, while dismantling prejudices and enhancing understanding of accessibility and acceptability in health care. Ultimately, this project illustrates how socially accountable medical education and social innovation can strengthen community capacity, expand equity in health, and prepare future professionals not only for today’s health system but for building the health system that communities truly need.