World Health Day 2018!
With the celebration of World Health Day 2018, we are reminded that there are still so many healthcare improvements to be made worldwide. In the communities that the 30/30 Project and Construction for Change provide infrastructure, there are three key barriers to healthcare access, each of which is solvable. The following are ways in which our partners seek to eliminate these barriers in the communities they serve:
Cost. Unfortunately the costs of healthcare are beyond reach for many who need it. In Togo West Africa, our partner Hope Through Health (https://hthglobal.org) provides free care to expecting mothers and children under five. This encourages more patients to seek treatment at the facility, greatly reducing infant, maternal and child mortality rates.
Transportation.The distance between a person in need of care and the nearest healthcare facility can be the key obstacle getting in the way of treatment. Many of our partners address this by having an ambulance available to transport critical patients to facilities that they could not reach on their own. Another way many of our partners overcome the distance between patients and medical facilities is through community health worker programs. Community health workers visit each house within their assigned area to diagnosis and treat many illnesses in a patient’s home. For more complicated cases, community health workers refer patients to a healthcare clinic.
Adequate facilities. Too many facilities in rural areas lack running water, electricity, and refrigeration for vaccines. Many don’t even have sufficient capacity for their patients. Not only that, but medical equipment is either unsatisfactory or outdated. Before the construction of the Nsambe Clinic in the Neno District in Malawi, there were no affordable healthcare options in the area, only a mobile clinic that came occasionally when the road was accessible. Now, with the Nsambe Clinic fully operational, including a lab, dispensary and onsite housing for medical staff, round-the-clock medical and emergency care is available.
The Nsambe Clinic
Although there are many barriers to healthcare access worldwide, more and more of them are being broken down. Happy World Health Day 2018 from all of us at the 30/30 Project!