Inequalities in health have drawn much attention and debate during the past years, and with good reason: lack of access to Universal Health Care in communities most at risk costs lives.
Introduction
Our health programmes begin with people and not with disease; we respond to how people live their lives.
In health, we can seldom attack one issue at a time – we combine living conditions, nutrition, access to basic facilities and knowledge, and then we combat disease.
Poor health is one of the first and most severe consequences of poverty. Inequality in health means billions of people are denied access to public health services. This inequality is in stark contrast to the global progress in science and technology. The capacity is there, however, many people continue to lose their lives to preventable and curable diseases.
Humana People to People’s health projects have always built on the active participation of the people to gain control of HIV and AIDS, TB, malaria, malnutrition, as well as non-infectious diseases. The approach is community-centred and people-led as it organises, supports and strengthens people’s responsive capacities.
We work closely with public health systems in implementing health programmes and strive to complement and support national health development strategies. Local clinics, nurses and doctors are among our most valued partners in the health projects.
Total Control of the Epidemic (TCE) is our HIV and AIDS response programme. The key message is that: “Only the people can liberate themselves from AIDS – the epidemic”. In alignment with the UNAIDS 95-95-95 strategy, TCE works to make sure that people know and understand their HIV status and that those who test HIV positive receive the treatment they need, with the ultimate aim of saving lives, suppressing the virus and stopping its spread.
Through TCE, we have gained the experiences of strengthening social cohesion and building health defence systems so that communities can take the lead in fighting not only HIV, but also other diseases. Among the experiences were the person-to-person mobilisation of people to test for a disease, the importance of referral for treatment, and support for those on treatment to stay on. In hard-to-reach areas and with most-at-risk populations, such as girls and young women, building up deep family- and community-relations is always critical.
Our teams of local community-based project staff and volunteers help people to get access to basic health services and treatment, and support local food production, income generation and other health-related activities.
“More than half of the global population is not fully covered by essential health services. The right to good health is far from being a reality with six years left to achieve Universal Health Coverage by 2030.”
World Health Organisation, 2023
Celestina de Carvalho Fortuna Communities HIV/AIDS and TB project in Benguela and Cuanza Sul, ADPP Angola
“The best way to deal with TB in our community is to reach out to every person and communicate the right information. Because if we communicate properly, we are not only preventing the individual case, but we are educating the whole community.”
Carmen Sadique Total Control of Malaria, ADPP Mozambique
“My daughter fell ill with fever, poor appetite, and seizures. People said it was ‘chitega,’ a sorcerer’s curse. But the volunteers convinced me to take her to the health unit. She tested malaria positive and got treated. In a few days, she was cured. It wasn’t ‘chitega’ after all!”
Pooja HIV/AIDS and TB Programme, Humana People to People India
“As a sex worker in Delhi, I was sent on a booking to another city by my pimp. After returning, my health worsened. I was linked to a health facility where I got diagnosed with HIV and accessed treatment. The assistance I got from the programme and the ongoing care, saved my life.”
Humana People to People is committed to supporting people to take control of their health, engaging communities that don’t have access to medical health support due to living in poverty or being far from health facilities. We often establish a network of community health workers who work closely with the nearest clinics and hospitals and support their staff of nurses, midwives and doctors in carrying out their important work.
The strategies in HIV and TB programmes promote knowledge, testing, early treatment, and assistance to patients to remain on treatment and traces those who are defaulting to bring them back on treatment.
Programmes such as TCE, Total Control of TB, Total Control of Malaria and HOPE Humana seek to connect health facilities, communities and individuals, focusing on equipping people to control their health.
Here are three examples of how Humana People to People members support Universal Health Care:
1. ADPP Mozambique supports people at risk of HIV, TB, malaria and malnutrition by implementing people-centred inclusive health programmes. TCE is testing people for HIV infection, and people diagnosed HIV positive are initiated on treatment and assisted to adhere to treatment until their viral load is suppressed.
2. ADPP Angola works closely with local municipalities in supporting the TB underserved communities. Community health workers educate people about TB, provide patient screening, contact tracing and referrals. They live in the community, conduct home visits, advise caregivers and patients, and are a vital link between patients and health facilities.
3. Humana People to People India organises regular health clinics, periodic health camps, and mobilises local women’s health clubs. Key activities include the large-scale deworming of children, distribution of iron-folic acid supplements among pregnant and lactating women, and the promotion of oral rehydration solution and zinc.
Achieving Universal Health Coverage is a critical step in helping people escape and stay out of poverty.
About 2 billion people face financial hardships when paying out-of-pocket health services and products.
Humana People to People supports underserved communities through community health workers, education, testing, treatment, and health programmes in HIV, TB, malaria, and maternal health.
We integrate sustainable food growing practices in the projects to strengthen the natural ecology. The integration of garden farming helps families to create self-reliant support systems and prevents exposure to unhealthy processed food.
Our sustainable agriculture and environment protection projects have engaged over 338,000 smallholder farmers in Africa, Asia and Central and South America. The farmers we engage with eliminate toxic chemicals in their food production, making the food healthier. The diversification of produce also adds to better nutrition at a household level.
We tap into local indigenous knowledge of traditional foods. In ADPP Mozambique under the Transform Nutrition programme, over 118,000 pregnant and lactating women in Nampula province learnt the nutritional value of local fruits and indigenous foods. This has made the local communities appreciate the use of local food products and has helped improve family nutrition.
Humana People to People India contributes to the improvement of access for 40,300 women and children under five to nutrition support for better reproductive and child health. Women and children are screened for malnourishment and those needing support receive supplementary nutritious food rations. Children and mothers found to have severe and acute malnourishment are treated.
Case Study
I became pregnant at 17 and did not know by whom. I decided to keep the baby.
“Now, I have a reason to dream again. It’s like I have been re-awakened and taken back on the right path of life. I dream of being a social activist to help other girls who are living with a story like mine”
Deolinda Abel is a 19-year-old girl, who lives with her son in Manhiça district of Maputo province in Mozambique. At 16 years, Deolinda lost her parents. She found herself in a desperate situation and became a sex worker to survive.
An activist from VIVA+ project, under ADPP Mozambique, referred Deolinda to the Adolescent and Youth Friendly Service for testing where a prenatal record was opened. It was during this period she discovered she was HIV positive.
The VIVA+ activist motivated her to start anti-retroviral treatment (ART) immediately. During treatment, her neighbours supported and assisted her in taking care of her son. Later, Deolinda found it necessary to go back to sex work, and abandoned ART treatment.
Again, the activist came to support. Deolinda was linked back on HIV treatment and a treatment adherence structure was established for her. Deolinda has recovered, she is in school, and is committed to changing her life for the better.
Case Study
Completing TB treatment saved my life. I am now working and supporting the daily needs of my family just like any other person.
Sailesi Kapalepale from Mulanje district of Malawi lives with his wife and five children. For months he was receiving home-based care after he fell sick and a community health worker collected sputum for testing that led to his TB treatment.
DAPP Malawi is running Total Control of TB Local Organizations Networks (TB LON) in three districts in Malawi. It is improving active TB case finding and diagnostics, and supporting treatment adherence. It works closely with public health facilities and district hospitals.
TB cases are detected through the implementation of health facility-based cough surveillance, community-based contact tracing, and systematic screening of TB micro-epidemic sites and hot spots.
Health throughout Humana People to People
Countries
People reached
Project units
Humana People to People health projects focus on the biggest health challenges: Total control of the HIV and AIDS epidemic; fighting the spread of TB; taking part in eliminating malaria; and improving nutrition.
Ending AIDS and stopping TB at ICASA 2023
We attended the International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) held from the 4th to 9th of December 2023 in Harare, Zimbabwe.
The Humana People to People exhibition booth received a courtesy visit from Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Eight members of Humana People to People attended the exhibition, and centred our booth on showing the models we use in responding to HIV, AIDS and TB. Five presentations and two virtual presentations showing the success of the TCE and Total Control of TB programmes demonstrated how members of Humana People to People in sub-Saharan Africa contribute to stopping the spread of HIV and support their national governments to achieve the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets to end AIDS by 2030.
Our booth in the exhibition area was visited by: Winnie Byanyima, the Executive Director of UNAIDS and Under-Secretary-General of the UN; Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization Southern Africa Region Director; Joy Phumaphi, Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance; Dr David P. Parirenyatwa, President of ICASA 2023; and Dr Owen Mugurungi, Principal Director for HIV and AIDS and TB programmes in Zimbabwe.
Here is some of what they said after a brief interaction at our booth during the ICASA 2023 event.
Letting communities lead is critical since it is the communities who know their people and know what they want. Without the communities we will never reach the last person who needs support. Communities are brought together by strong bonds and culture including supporting each other in dignity. It is because of organisations like Humana People to People that countries like Zimbabwe are making progress. Supporting the governments to reach out to the communities accelerates transformation and helps people into taking responsibilities.
Winnie Byanyima
I applaud the TCE community-driven and people- centred approach as a trailblazer in HIV and TB response. Continue engaging communities as they have knowledge, skills and experience to meet their own health needs.
Dr Owen Mugurungi
Humana People to People have shown the human side of development – Ubuntu. Human beings working for development must accept one another as one family and support one another, that is what Humana is about. It is not about a development partner who knows more than the other part.
Joy Phumaphi