Flexible Crisis Response

As resolved at the 2024 World Health Assembly, strong and resilient primary healthcare is an essential defense against health threats and key to preventing and responding to the health impacts of climate change. Mobile clinics provide this resilient primary healthcare infrastructure, and through their flexible nature, have allowed GAIA to be a critical partner to the government of Malawi during public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increasing number of climate change-exacerbated natural disasters.

Natural Disaster Response. The Global Climate Risk Index lists Malawi as among the 5 nations most affected by extreme weather events and climate change has drastically intensified the impact of cyclones, floods, and droughts in the country. During destructive cyclones that have occurred annually over the past 5 years, GAIA mobile clinics have been repurposed as emergency response clinics at displacement camps, helping to ensure continuous access to essential health services during natural disasters.The climate crisis is wreaking further havoc through an increased incidence of climate-sensitive diseases such as malaria and scabies. The number of malaria cases treated at GAIA mobile clinics doubled in 2023.

COVID-19 Emergency Response. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, GAIA served as a critical partner to the government of Malawi in the effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the three southern districts where we work.

Maintaining Essential Services. Building on community trust during a time of widespread uncertainty, equipping our team and government partners with full personal protective equipment (PPE), and implementing social distancing, hygiene, and safety protocols at mobile health clinics, allowed GAIA to maintain access to essential primary health care services for our clients.

Mobilization for Vaccination. GAIA mobile clinic staff help to dispel misinformation surrounding vaccines and increase clients’ awareness on the importance of vaccination during clinic and community health talks. GAIA frontline field staff were among the first vaccinated in the country in mid 2020.

Distribution of essential prevention supplies. GAIA’s deep community roots facilitated the distribution of essential prevention and hygiene supplies within weeks of the first Malawian COVID-19 case. In the first six months of the pandemic alone, GAIA supplied more than 10,000 locally sewn cloth face masks, 10,550 hand-washing stations, and 218,000  tablets of soap to priority households with elderly family members.