The Hesperian Foundation is a non-profit publisher of books and newsletters for community-based health care. A core aim of the Hesperian Foundation is to promote health and self determination in poor communities worldwide by making health information accessible.
Hesperian publications are written simply and include many illustrations so people with little formal education can understand, apply and share medical information. Developed collaboratively with health workers and groups from around the world, Hesperian books and newsletters address the underlying social, political, and economic causes of poor health, and suggest ways groups can organise to improve health conditions in their communities. Hesperian also promotes information sharing through a royalty-free ‘open-copyright’ policy, which encourages other organisations to reproduce, translate, and adapt publications on a not-for-profit basis. Discounted prices are offered to people in developing countries.
Topics of publications include women’s health, midwifery, dentistry, environmental health, mental health, health worker training, rehabilitation, HIV/AIDS, children with disabilities, and workers’ health and safety. Hesperian’s first book ‘Where There is No Doctor’ is one of the most widely used community health books in the world. In addition, Hesperian runs several assistance programmes. These include the Gratis Book Programme, which distributes thousands of free books yearly to health workers; the Translations Programme, giving small grants to help organisations translate Hesperian books and newsletters; and the Creative Education Programme, helping grassroots groups to develop creative but simple materials and methods for education about issues that affect the health of women.
Several complete books are available to download freely from the site, including:
- Where there is no doctor: a village health care handbook
- Where women have no doctor: a health guide for women
- A book for midwives
- HIV, health and your community