People in Mangochi District have commended Amref Health Africa for enhancing access to health services through integrated outreach clinics under the Fighting Vaccine Preventable Diseases Project (Pfizer 3).
During a media field visit to Naipwi Village in Traditional Authority Bwananyambi on Tuesday, community member Liviness Majidu said women faced numerous challenges when accessing services such as vaccination, family planning and cancer screening.
She said the nearest facility, Nangalamu Health Centre, is about 12 kilometres away and residents pay up to K10 000 for transport.
I Ayamba Kandodo
Said Majidu: “This forces people not to seek healthcare when they are not feeling well. However, some were forced to walk the long distance to access healthcare at the facility.
“But Amref’s outreach clinics have eased these challenges as people can now access services within the community.”
Another community member, Aida Samu, said before Amref’s intervention, under-five services were provided under a tree, making it difficult during the rainy season.
She said the outreach clinics have reduced the distance and time spent seeking medical care.
Samu asked Amref to continue with the initiative.
The area’s senior assistant environmental health officer Albert Nyambalo thanked Amref for the outreach clinics, saying they have improved service delivery in the hard-toreach area.
He mentioned understaffing and lack of vehicles as major barriers to conducting outreach in all communities and appealed for continued support from partners.
Amref Health Africa project assistant Remmitor Bonga said the integrated outreach clinics seek to bring health services closer to communities, thus reducing both time and transportation costs.
“Through these clinics, we support the Mangochi District Health Office in delivering multiple services to residents,” he said.
With funding from the Pfizer Foundation, Amref Health Africa in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation is implementing the Pfizer 3 Project in Mangochi, Salima, Chikwawa, Machinga and Zomba districts
