Health

Africare helps communities where medical services are scarce, illnesses abound and life ― for most people ― is tragically short. Africare's first program, begun in 1970, was assistance to the isolated Maine-Soroa Hospital in Diffa, Niger. Since that time, our focus has been on "primary health care": community-level, prevention-oriented interventions, especially in the rural areas. Africare also supports curative medicine, health infrastructure development and other rural health needs. Issues addressed by Africare include the following:

• Mother-and-child health
• Improved nutrition
• Water supply and sanitation
• Disease control: for example, malaria, tuberculosis, dysentery, polio and onchocerciasis ("river blindness")
• HIV/AIDS assistance
• Disease prevention
• Emergency medical care: for example, in refugee camps
• Provision of medications, medical equipment, etc.
• Construction of clinics, dispensaries, etc.
• Health training, from medical professionals to village volunteers
• National health-systems improvement

 

(Updated, Jan. 4, 2008)