On Call Africa

Mission Statement:

• On Call Africa is dedicated to improving healthcare for rural populations in Zambia who have little or no access to medical services.

Strategic aims:

* Provide on the spot medical care in target areas by the use of mobile medical clinics.

To tackle the abundance of medical problems suffered from in the rural areas of Zambia, the medical screening program is the focus of On Call Africa’s activities in Zambia. The mobile clinics have the capacity to consult with 150 patients per day and provided a basic laboratory service to under take testing for malaria, HIV, common sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. A child health program is conducted during each clinic, providing a full immunization course to all children under five years of age and a growth monitoring service aimed to identify underweight and malnourished children requiring additional medical input. Midwifery services include antenatal care and family planning clinics.

* Provide health education to local populations

As important as the first objective of provision of medical care to rural communities is the second objective of addressing lifestyle issues and promoting healthy living. Workshops are conducted during each clinic visit covering topics such as dental health, musculoskeletal problems, nutrition and sanitation, HIV and AIDS and gender equality. Each workshop focuses on prevention of ill health, promoting community involvement and local ownership of solutions.

* Work towards a system of sustainable medical care in target areas

Initiatives from On Call Africa’s pilot project include the teaching of school children techniques to manufacture soap from locally available ingredients and the installation of low cost hand washing stations following demonstrations by our volunteers. Working alongside community health workers and traditional birth attendants has allowed us to assist them in developing their knowledge base and skill sets. Additional training sessions outside the clinic schedule aims to reinforce and revisit previous government training to ensure health workers act effectively as the first point of contact for the communities health needs.

In addition to developing aptitudes the project improves medical supply chains by distributing male and female condoms, chlorine and mosquito nets on behalf of the district medical offices. Close collaboration with the ministry of health and other medical institutions has led to On Call Africa emerging as a key provider of medical services in the southern province and a well recognized and reputable international organization.