GAIA Mobile Health Clinics
MLC Vanguard | Created by GAIA
GAIA's mobile clinics provide access to critical healthcare at the far end of the road in rural Southern Africa and build the capacity of the local healthcare systems.
1,600,000 Lives Impacted
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, the majority of people live in rural areas and often endure up to a day-long walk to the nearest health facility. In Malawi this is true for 84% of the country’s residents. Lack of access to healthcare puts millions of lives at risk, especially the rural poor who suffer from high-prevalence of preventable and treatable diseases and who are more vulnerable to climate and health shocks like flooding and COVID-19.
GAIA's cost-effective, community-based approach to rural healthcare combines mobile clinics and community health workers to bring basic healthcare services to where they are urgently needed.
In close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, GAIA’s mobile programs efficiently and effectively fill gaps in the healthcare grid, reducing disease among hard-to-reach, rural populations, and providing preventative education and services.
Together with the communities we serve, GAIA develops innovative and caring healthcare programs in resource-deprived regions in Africa, especially those most affected by pandemics like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. To ensure the broadest possible impact, we rigorously test our initiatives and promote the replication of successful models.
The Innovation
In partnership with the Malawi MOH, GAIA operates a network of Mobile Health Clinics (MHCs) in 3 of Malawi’s poorest and most remote districts. Community members, local leaders and district health professionals support MHC operations to improve community health outcomes and build sustainable healthcare capacity.
Each MHC is staffed by a clinical officer, registered nurse, nurse’s aide, HIV diagnostic assistant, and driver trained to triage clients and take vitals. MHCs rotate between pre-determined sites based on current healthcare gaps, enable the district health office to more effectively coordinate, deliver services, and make referrals to fixed facilities as needed. Clinic sites are able to quickly shift when current healthcare needs change, or when crises like COVID-19 emerge.
Mobile clinics provide preventative care, as well as screening, testing and/or treatment for chronic, acute and potentially life-threatening conditions, including infectious diseases like HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and COVID-19. To respond to the emerging crisis in Malawi, GAIA's COVID-19 Campaign and Emergency Response team will:
1. Protect Mobile Health Clinic operations, adding additional staff, protocols, and vital Personal Protective Equipment (PPE);
2. Educate rural communities on hygiene, social distancing and other pandemic prevention messaging;
3. Deliver essential COVID-19 prevention supplies, including masks, buckets for water and soap for households in the highest risk areas.
About GAIA
GAIA is a secular nonprofit that delivers innovative healthcare programs in resource-deprived regions in Africa, especially those most affected by HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. GAIA’s programs seek to empower girls and women, emphasize prevention, and expand access. While completely secular, GAIA’s name recalls an early grassroots approach, incorporating leaders of all faiths as important community influencers and messengers on health topics. The grassroots legacy continues today, as GAIA’s programs are developed in-country based on the local context and focused on strengthening systems and developing capacity to real and sustainable change.
