Health
The gap between health needs and the resources available to meet them is alarmingly wide. In the countries we focus on, preventable diseases are often not being prevented, and curable diseases are frequently not cured. This results in premature deaths, poor quality of life and economic strains for millions of people of all ages.
A Community Health Worker shows malaria test results to a member of the community at her homestead in Mozambique.
The gap between health needs and the resources available to meet them is alarmingly wide. In the countries we focus on, preventable diseases are often not being prevented, and curable diseases are frequently not cured. This results in premature deaths, poor quality of life and economic strains for millions of people of all ages. Global solidarity has been crucial in making medical advancements accessible. Notably, the waiver of patents for life-saving anti-retroviral treatments in the 2000s has significantly aided the fight against AIDS. Additionally, support for national health systems in struggling countries has been critical. In the case of tuberculosis, new technologies have been made available to communities, enabling early detection, prompt diagnosis, and complete treatment, ultimately saving millions of lives.
Malaria, which poses a substantial threat, especially to children, remains largely underfunded despite recent advancements towards developing a vaccine against it.
With the rapid rise in climate-related disasters and the overall decline in agricultural production due to Climate Change, nutrition has become increasingly important for promoting health for populations worldwide. In light of geopolitical developments worldwide, it is more important than ever to build local supply chains for medicines and medical equipment and to strengthen communities’ resilience and self-reliance. It is equally essential to develop facilities and improve access to public health care so prevention can take priority among the millions of people who don’t have access today.
Expansion of people accessing HIV treatment has halved AIDS-related deaths since 2010 from 1.3 million to 630,000 in 2023. However, the world will not achieve the target of reducing AIDS-related deaths to below 250,000 by 2025.
- UNAIDS (2024)
What we do
Our health programmes mainly respond to the HIV epidemic, TB, malaria and malnutrition.
We have established project structures, but the true strength of our health projects lies in our connections with the communities we serve. Our project leaders reside in the communities and deeply understand the people’s needs and conditions. Working together with local people, we impact lives and become vital to their journey. The project starts with the people to be at the centre of the programme. Community members must view the programme as their own, recognising that they hold the power to make decisions about their health and transform their lives.
This approach places them in the lead of the activities. People organise in groups based on the challenges or diseases they confront. They may be the infected, the affected, those at risk, influential individuals, or those who care. They identify obstacles, they plan actions to take, and together with their project and health partners, they drive the project forward, collectively devising tools to take control and combat these issues.
As a team, they define the steps to success. Support groups are formed as trios, creating a robust network of encouragement and solidarity for those diagnosed or infected, fostering an environment of hope and resilience.
A TB awareness campaign ensures the community understands the project and takes complete ownership of it in India.
The Youth
“I’m Rhoda from Nambadzo village, Malawi. I faced challenges with school fees during my secondary education, as my parents struggled in the grip of poverty.”
Our cultural norms and poverty forced girls into early marriages and unplanned pregnancies, heightening their vulnerability to sexual violence and HIV and hindering their aspirations.
The project Loto Langa by DAPP Malawi has been transformative. It empowers young women through career development, promotes livestock production, establishes village savings groups, and educates us on HIV and sexual violence. I joined the project not only to protect myself but also to equip myself with the skills needed to thrive.
I am proud to be my community’s first female motorcycle mechanic and a role model for young girls pursuing careers. I aim to open a garage as a training centre for girls, demonstrating that when girls are empowered, they can shatter barriers and transform their lives and communities.
Rhodha Chipoka,
TCE Loto Langa project, DAPP Malawi
Total Control of the Epidemic/Loto Langa (My Dream)
Chiradzulu District in Malawi is deeply rooted in cultural and traditional norms that stifle the aspirations of young girls. In this setting, adolescent girls and young women confront challenges, including the peril of contracting HIV, unplanned pregnancies, and early marriages. Such circumstances limit their potential when they should be pursuing their dreams.
Total Control of the Epidemic (TCE) Loto Langa project engaged community members to create a safer environment that lowers girls’ HIV infection risks. Central to this initiative are girls, who gain opportunities to shape their futures through education on self-care, staying in school, livestock production and savings groups, and learning to advocate for themselves and seek support in challenging situations. Families Matter parenting sessions equip parents with tools for open discussions about HIV and sexual health. They get educational support and school fees to reinforce their commitment to success.
The TCE Loto Langa project has significantly improved the lives of girls in Chiradzulu, demonstrated by increased access to HIV testing services. A notable decline in unplanned pregnancies and early marriages leads parents to prioritise discussions about HIV and sexual health. This has positively transformed the socioeconomic status of young women, fostering a brighter and more empowered future.
In 2024
34,000
young people enrolled in the programme, highlighting its community importance.
The National HQ Leader
“Taking proactive steps to reduce malaria can pave the way for a healthier future for all.”
At the ADPP Mozambique National Headquarters, we are at the heart of all the projects implemented by our organisation. We draw valuable lessons from one initiative to enhance another, ensuring that each experience contributes to the overall success of our endeavours.
By proactively addressing challenges, we engage with all projects, cooperating closely with project leaders who work directly in the communities, supporting the project’s sustainability and continuity. We actively impart these insights to new projects we launch, amplifying our impact and enriching our collective journey.
We share with other projects the experiences from the Malaria project, where it is woven into the fabric of the community. Here, volunteers are the backbone of the project, working with Ministry of Health workers to raise awareness and strengthen health facility support. Teachers empower students to engage parents in the cause. This intertwined approach promotes sustainable malaria prevention and care, leading to better adherence to protective measures in the community.
Orlando Mapute,
Senior Programme Officer, National Headquarters, ADPP Mozambique
Accelerating and Strengthening the Quality of Malaria Control Interventions in Mozambique
ADPP Mozambique is dedicated to educating and mobilising communities about malaria prevention to eliminate new infections. The spread of malaria is often due to a lack of awareness, improper use of mosquito nets, and delays in seeking medical treatment.
The malaria prevention project operates in 20 districts across Niassa and Nampula, collaborating with various organisations and the Ministry of Health. The project’s success is deeply rooted in the network of existing community structures, built upon the commitment of dedicated teachers and passionate volunteers who own the programme and empower local populations to engage in discussions about malaria. The project network reaches even the most remote areas with vital prevention information. This approach fosters community ownership of health and enhances program sustainability.
The initiative has raised awareness of preventive strategies, encouraged consistent use of insecticide- treated nets, increased demand for medical services, and fostered a proactive community that can effectively address this health challenge and reduce malaria cases.
The project is positively impacting the lives of
5 million
people with 18,900 dedicated teachers and 6,050 passionate volunteers, and collaborating with the Government and Civil Society Organisations.
Health throughout Humana People to People
10.3M
People reached
631
Project units
12
Countries
Humana People to People health projects focus on the biggest health challenges: Total control of the HIV epidemic; fighting the spread of TB; taking part in eliminating malaria; and improving nutrition.
Humana People to People at AIDS 2024
We participated in AIDS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference in Munich, Germany.
The idea behind our HIV prevention work is that “Only the people can liberate themselves from the HIV epidemic.” For the past 24 years, we have worked together with the people and communities affected by the HIV epidemic to ensure that they take a leading role in ending AIDS by 2030.
With this approach, we have gained extensive experience across 12 countries in how best to prevent the spread of HIV and how to support people who have acquired the virus to get and remain on treatment. The Total Control of the Epidemic (TCE) programme has impacted over 24.8 million people since its start. Empowering communities to end the HIV epidemic is fundamental. An empowered community can stop the spread of HIV, knows the right decisions to make, values accessing health facilities and organises a local support system for adherence to HIV treatment.
We presented what we have learned and how we use it at our exhibition booth, in panel and poster presentations, and in media engagements during the conference.
At a dedicated event with one of our partners, Humana People to People launched a short video featuring DAPP Malawi and its HIV prevention work among adolescent girls and young women in rural Malawi. Humana People to People Botswana presented success in initiating and linking people on ART for increased treatment retention and viral load suppression.
Four poster presentations were given by ADPP Angola, ADPP Mozambique, Humana People to People Botswana, and Planet Aid Inc. (USA).
The ways the TCE programme engages individuals and communities in responding to HIV caught the interest of several media outlets and received global coverage. Notable global media houses that featured TCE were Deutsche Welle, Voice of America, Citizen News Service, DevEx, Harvard Public Health Journal, Channel Africa, Global Health Pursuit Podcast, and Agencia Brasil Aids.
Humana People to People India presents at the World Lung Health Conference in Bali
India accounts for 25% of the global tuberculosis (TB) burden, with an estimated 2.77 million TB incidence in 2022, according to the World Health Organisation.
Humana People to People India attended and presented at the World Conference on Lung Health in Bali, Indonesia, from 12 to 16 November 2024. Four presentations focused on fighting TB amongst the most exposed homeless and migratory people in Delhi, Hyderabad, Howrah, and peri-urban Mumbai metropolitan cities of India.
India accounts for 25% of the global tuberculosis (TB) burden, with an estimated 2.77 million TB incidence in 2022, according to the World Health Organisation. The rising number of people undiagnosed with TB and not on treatment remains a significant challenge driving TB transmission within most at-risk communities.
Humana People to People India showcased the importance of targeting TB response to homeless people, migrants, mobile populations, and people living in unauthorised slums. When aiming at identifying more individuals who are yet to receive treatment, it is essential to engage the community in TB response through screening, active case detection, and treatment access. A network of Community Health Workers identifies people with symptoms of TB, leads the process of active case finding, and assists those found with TB in getting treatment. Thereafter, they get support till they have been cured.
Innovative approaches to accelerate the impact on local TB dynamics include community chest X-ray screening, Artificial Intelligence-aided cough-sound screening, follow-up at the home of former TB clients successfully treated in the last two years and screening their household contacts. The project went for intensified screening of the clients at some popular local liquor shops, followed the symptomatic but sputum-negative presumptive cases and facilitated their retest.
The results revealed that community X-ray screening in Delhi among 1,916 people found 328 presumptive cases, with 33 diagnosed with TB. AI-aided cough-sound screening screened 810 people and found 197 presumptive cases, with 19 people detected with TB. Follow-up of the initial 56 sputum-negative presumptive cases who continued with symptoms resulted in 45 retests, and 30 were diagnosed with TB.
Other Humana People to People members who also attended and made presentations were ADPP Mozambique, DAPP Malawi, and DAPP Zambia. A key observation at the conference is the growing call for an increase in funding TB programmes, as the split in the ratio of funds going towards the TB and HIV epidemic needs urgent address.