AVSI works to ensure access to basic health care for all children and families and to increase the availability of capable local providers. All of the over 33,000 children in 38 countries involved in the Distance Support Program are guaranteed health care coverage, most often through negotiated agreements with local providers and support for emergency needs.

Quality local care

AVSI also engages directly with health care providers at all levels, from the community health volunteers and workers to regional hospitals to strengthen local capacity and in particular the capacity of human resources. Through direct engagement with health care providers over long-term horizons, AVSI can support channels for training and demonstration of effective or new methodologies.

The last mile

AVSI addresses specific health issues—such as maternal health care, HIV/AIDS prevention, particularly prevention of mother-to-child transmission ( PMTCT), treatment and care, and TB and malaria treatment and control—with a holistic approach that involves families, local groups and volunteers in patient care as often as possible, helping to boost adherence levels and create demand for health services even in vulnerable and dispersed contexts.

A. Strengthen basic health services through increased accessibility and rehabilitation of existing hospitals and other health-related facilities.

DR Congo, Nigeria,Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Uganda,

B.  Nutrition interventions including community screenings, in-patient or out-patient services, food therapy and education on nutrition and hygiene.

Brazil, Burundi, Angola, Haiti, Mexico, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda

C.  Support for district health systems through management capacity support as well as training opportunities for medical staff.

 Nigeria, South Sudan, Uganda

D.  Assistance for people with disabilities including both medical interventions and socio-economic support for improved integration in society.

Jordan, Uganda

AVSI Resources related to Health Care

• Nourishing people, feeding hope (also available in French and Spanish)
  From AVSI's itascabili series #10: Case studies of integrated nutrition, agriculture and food security programming in Haiti, Brazil, Mexico, South Sudan, Rwanda, Peru, Argentina and Nigeria published in 2010.
  
• FREE: 10 years of PMTCT in Uganda; 10 years of Children Born Free of HIV

Website featuring AVSI’s 2012 publication and video documenting our 10-year initiative to provide Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS services through 4 hospitals and 37 health centers in northern Uganda.

• The Challenges of HIV/AIDS: Twenty Years of Struggle, Knowledge and Commitment for Action [PDF]
  A booklet produced in 2001 which provides an overview of the challenge of AIDS in Africa, with a specific focus on Uganda, and includes a collection of presentations made at the Meeting of Friendship among Peoples, during a conference entitled, "Has the monster been caged? Twenty years of struggle against HIV/AIDS."