Achieving equitable health access for all remains an elusive ambition demanding an end to inequalities contributing to the deprivation of essential healthcare services to many. The growing number of premature deaths and people becoming victims of preventable suffering is worrying.
It takes more than investing in health services to achieve Universal Health Coverage. We need sustainable community led health responses and programmes that place people at the centre to take charge of their own health challenges. Bringing health services closer to people calls for action and concerted efforts to rollout free primary health care for all thus allowing disadvantaged communities to be part of the health system.
Our dedication to stop the spread of communicable diseases dates back more than 2 decades. Humana People to People through its members contributes to the achievement of global strategies including UNAIDS 95 95 95, End TB 2035 Strategy, UN Nutrition Strategy 2022–2030 and Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030, leading to the reduction and elimination of epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia using people centred approaches.
Our health programmes push for individuals and communities to have equitable access to quality health services for people to take care of their own health as well as for their families. Together with our many partners, we invest in people, public health systems and national health programmes to promote equal access to prevention messages, diagnosis, treatment and care.
HIV
Since year 2000, we have reached more than 22 million people with HIV and AIDS information and services in Africa and Asia with our Total Control of the Epidemic (TCE) programme that has impacted and saved many lives. Our TCE programmes build on the motto “Only people can liberate themselves from AIDS the epidemic”, we believe in the power of bringing people together to prevent the spread of HIV through raising awareness, prevention, treatment and care. We engage communities to be at the centre of leading HIV and AIDS programmes through a network of community volunteers mobilizing people to get tested, know their HIV status and make informed decisions about their lives. People living with HIV are engaged in positive living clubs, form TRIOs and start nutrition gardens to strengthen treatment adherence. Pregnant mothers are enrolled for PMTCT to bear HIV free babies. Our efforts are contributing positively to HIV global response to end AIDS by 2030.
TB
We are committed to end TB through building on the active participation of the people themselves in their communities. We are providing people in TB burdened communities the science and technology to accelerate TB screening, diagnosis, sputum collection, and testing at health centers. We engage communities for sustainable TB response through making referrals for TB treatment and supporting those infected to adhere to treatment. All these efforts are contributing to the reduction of drug resistant TB that’s threatening to reverse the gains made towards ending TB.
Our members’ response to TB for the past 15 years reached over 15 million people with TB prevention and awareness messages feeding into the end TB by 2035 strategy. We share synergies with a network of partners that support us to carry out these lifesaving TB programmes in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
Malaria
For more than 30 years, we have contributed positively to the elimination of malaria in the global south through our malaria programmes in mosquito infested communities. Our health programmes support Ministries of Health to facilitate and improve malaria prevention and treatment targeting high risk communities, pregnant mothers and children under the age of five. We work together with communities to build strong malaria driven response using democratic and sustainable community health structures that strengthen community involvement in malaria prevention. Community volunteers promote early health-seeking behaviour through raising awareness, screening and referring people to get a Malaria test and ensure those that test Malaria positive are enrolled for treatment and complete their treatment course. In 2023, more than 2.7 million were reached with Malaria prevention messages, screened 720,000 and over 650,000 were identified with malaria. We continue to work together with partners to achieve the Malaria Elimination 2016- 2030 strategy.
Nutrition
We cannot end epidemics without addressing nutrition. Our programmes use holistic approaches to tackle both epidemics and nutrition challenges. The fight to end malnutrition spans across all our 4 thematic areas engaging communities to lead actions of change to improve their quality of life. We integrate nutrition in our TB and HIV programmes to improve treatment adherence and outcomes to reduce drug resistance cases. In 2023, our nutrition projects reached above 750,000 people with nutrition messages, provided nutrition packs and farming inputs to strengthen their nutrition outcomes.
Humana People to People has over the years implemented WASH and sanitation projects. In 2023, Child Aid Wash North West Province in Zambia worked with children, families and communities through community action groups to improve access to safe drinking water, sanitation and improved hygiene behaviour.
In recent years, Humana People to People joined hands with the rest of the international community in the fight against covid-19. Our last intervention with covid vaccination ended in 2023 in Angola. However, since covid-19 is no longer a serious threat, we have reverted our full strength towards our traditional health programmes.
Ending epidemics calls for global response to commit to end drivers of health inequalities slowing down the achievement of Universal Health Coverage for all. Health systems are underfunded requiring support from both private and public sectors to join hands to address challenges affecting health systems. World leaders must fulfil commitments made to provide health services for all people by 2030. Despite the challenges, building a healthier future for all is possible, to give the best chance for people to thrive in the future with the support from the global health community. Humana People to People continues to engage and support communities together with our partners to increase active participation of people themselves in health programmes to build healthy societies. In 2023, all our health programmes reached over 12 million people.
