Reports from the Sierra Madre

The Reports from the Sierra Madre comprise an on-the-spot journal of the first year David Werner spent as a novice health worker in the isolated villages of the Sierra Madre Occidental, the rugged mountain range of western México, in the state of Sinaloa. That year was 1966. He was 31 years old. Initially, he had planned to spend one year only. However his engagement with the Sierra Madre spanned half a century, and had a far-reaching impact. Among other things, it was his work in those isolated mountains that led him to write the internationally acclaimed Where There Is No Doctor, a book that has influenced primary health care practices throughout the world.These four reports -- here published together for the first time -- were initially scribbled by lamplight and sent in serial form to friends to raise funds for this unlikely grassroots endeavor. Over two hundred photos, paintings and drawings by the author have been added to the original text. Where There Is No Doctor grew out of David’s personal experiences living and working side-by-side with the villagers, sharing their joys and hardships, and joining their struggles for their health and rights. These shared ventures also gave rise to several other ground-breaking primary health care and disability-related manuals by David Werner.