U.S., Paraguay strengthen healthcare partnership with dental suite, eyeglasses donation

Published Aug. 21, 2025
By Andrea Jenkins
Air Forces Southern Public Affairs

LUQUE, Paraguay --

U.S. Southern Command and the U.S. Embassy in Asuncion donated a fully equipped dental suite and 17,000 pairs of prescription eyeglasses to the Paraguayan Ministry of Health during a ceremony Aug. 13, 2025, at the Unidad de Salud de la Familia Tarumandy in Luque, Paraguay, during AMISTAD 2025.

The humanitarian assistance project, coordinated through the Embassy’s Military Group, addresses a long-standing lack of dental and vision services in Tarumandy. The donation includes a new chair, equipment and supplies that will be used to provide care to local residents - the first dental option available in the community.

“This is a significant occasion because it represents how we work together,” Maj. Gen. Javier Reina, Deputy Commander for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, U.S. Southern Command. “The partnership we have here - between the Ministry of Health, the U.S. Embassy, and our service members - is about identifying needs and finding real solutions that improve lives.”

U.S., Paraguay strengthen healthcare partnership with dental suite, eyeglasses donation

U.S. and Paraguayan medical teams pose for a group photo after a donation ceremony at the Unidad de Salud de la Familia Tarumandy in Luque, Paraguay, Aug. 13, 2025. U.S. Southern Command and the U.S. Embassy donated a full dental suite and thousands of prescription eyeglasses, strengthening healthcare partnerships. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andrea Jenkins)

U.S., Paraguay strengthen healthcare partnership with dental suite, eyeglasses donation

A U.S. Air Force dental technician using newly donated equipment at the Unidad de Salud de la Familia Tarumandy in Luque, Paraguay, Aug. 13, 2025. The donation made by U.S. Southern Command and the U.S. Embassy in Asuncion marked the first time the community had a reliable dental option, part of a broader U.S.-Paraguayan effort to improve healthcare access. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andrea Jenkins)

U.S., Paraguay strengthen healthcare partnership with dental suite, eyeglasses donation

Boxes of prescription eyeglasses are displayed during a donation ceremony at the Unidad de Salud de la Familia Tarumandy in Luque, Paraguay, Aug. 13, 2025. More than 17,000 pairs were provided by U.S. Southern Command and the U.S. Embassy, ensuring residents with vision impairments receive potentially life-altering support. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andrea Jenkins)

Reina said the donation and AMISTAD 25 were about ensuring the community benefits long after the mission concludes.

“By improving facilities, providing equipment, and sharing knowledge, we are building a capacity that will serve Tarumandy for years to come,” Reina said.

Paraguayan Minister of Health Dr. Maria Teresa Baran highlighted the direct impact the equipment will have.

“For someone with dental pain who has no place to go, or a person who cannot see well enough to work or study, this changes everything,” Baran said.

Baran noted that the donation reflects more than material assistance. “This is not just a dental chair or eyeglasses - it is a demonstration of friendship and cooperation,” Baran said. “The people of Tarumandy will remember that they were not forgotten, and that our partners stood with us to meet their needs.”

U.S., Paraguay strengthen healthcare partnership with dental suite, eyeglasses donation

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Javier Reina, Deputy Commander for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, U.S. Southern Command, speaks with Paraguayan officials during a clinic walkthrough in Luque, Paraguay, Aug. 13, 2025. Reina emphasized the donation was about more than equipment — it was about building lasting healthcare capacity. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andrea Jenkins)

U.S., Paraguay strengthen healthcare partnership with dental suite, eyeglasses donation

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Javier Reina, Deputy Commander for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, U.S. Southern Command, talks to Paraguayan Minister of Health Dr. Maria Teresa Baran during a donation ceremony at the Unidad de Salud de la Familia Tarumandy in Luque, Paraguay, Aug. 13, 2025. The donation will expand access to dental and vision care for the community of Tarumandy. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andrea Jenkins)

U.S., Paraguay strengthen healthcare partnership with dental suite, eyeglasses donation

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Alexandra Hernandez, 507th Medical Squadron dentist, right, and a dental technician, perform an extraction on a patient at the Unidad de Salud de la Familia Tarumandy in Luque, Paraguay, Aug. 13, 2025. The U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Embassy in Asuncion donated a fully equipped dental suite and 17,000 pairs of prescription eyeglasses to the Ministry of Health, expanding care for local residents. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andrea Jenkins)

Baran also announced the Ministry’s plan to sustain the capability. “We will hire a full-time dentist for the Unidad de Salud de la Familia Tarumandy so residents will continue to have reliable dental and oral healthcare,” Baran said.

The donation also included thousands of prescription eyeglasses, which will improve quality of life for residents with vision impairments, particularly those who previously lacked affordable corrective lenses.

“This collaboration is about more than one day or one mission,” Reina said. “It is about the lasting benefits that come when we work side-by-side with our partners and friends.”

With new capabilities in place and a permanent dentist on the way, the Unidad de Salud de la Familia Tarumandy is set to deliver lasting care and serve as a symbol of what U.S.-Paraguayan cooperation can achieve.