Sizolwethu Mobile Health Outreach – Medical Supplies
Zimbabwe, a country in Southern Africa, is inhabited by a population of approximately 14 million people. Its geographical location is characterized by neighboring countries on all sides, including South Africa to the south, Botswana to the west and southwest, Mozambique to the east and northeast, and Zambia to the northwest.
The humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe has been witnessing a concerning decline, attributed to a multitude of factors, notably socio-economic challenges exacerbated by an uncertain political landscape. Over the past two decades, there has been a deterioration of the healthcare system, resulting in the degradation of facilities and the reduction in basic essential health services. Zimbabwe is also grappling with very high levels of inflation, and therefore, medication is unaffordable for many. Consequently, a considerable portion of the population are unable to access the care that they need.
Sizolwethu Mobile Health (SMH) is a Christian charity organisation that was established in September 2011. The organisation aims to complement services offered by the Ministry of Health to conduct programs aimed at improving health and well-being through the provision of;
• primary medical treatment,
• quality health education,
• and community development initiatives.
One of the main objectives is to try and overcome the big issue of poor access to health services by sending nurses and health educators out into the peri-urban and rural communities. The target beneficiaries are the poor communities who cannot afford and have poor access to quality healthcare. This includes people in the squatter camps who are mostly immigrants and do not have any identification documents. This makes it difficult for them to access any form of healthcare within the system.
This Mobile Health Outreach offers health services that provide clinical care and health education to poor rural and peri-urban communities. It seeks to address the problem of poor access to quality healthcare, isolation, high transport and medical costs.
One of the biggest and most critical needs to saving lives is medication. There is a severe lack of medication and where available, the costs are prohibitive for most people in the communities served by Sizolwethu. MMA are privileged to be able to provide some funding for medication.
Impact
