Bringing health care closer to the needy: Free medical camps in informal settlements

Over 3, 000 people from Korogocho and Viwandani Informal settlements benefit from free medical camps organized by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) every year . This weekend, APHRC will hold another free medical camp in Korogocho informal settlement at Daniel Comboni Primary School on Saturday, November 19, 2011 starting at 9.00am.

Why Free Medical Camps?
The burden of disease is alarmingly high in the informal settlements. Many people suffer and die of causes that can be prevented or treated because proper medical services are usually not available to them.

During the free medical camps held in June and November every year, APHRC collaborates with the Nairobi City Council, The Kenya Diabetes and Information Center to give free treatment to patients in these areas.

The University of Nairobi Medical Students Associations and others too, join hands together to bring
health services closer to these communities and to create awareness of where the communities can access proper medical care.

Services Offered at the APHRC Free Medical camps
Consultation and Treatment including medication, Diabetes Screening and Management, Family Planning Information and Services, Vaccination, De-worming, and VCT.

APHRC is a regional non-governmental organization that conducts policy relevant research on population, health, and education and drives its use in policy and practice, as well as strengthens the research capacity of upcoming African scholars and institutions.

APHRC runs a continuous surveillance system in two informal settlements in Nairobi to gather data on population, health and schooling indicators.