Archive for category: Health

Information and stories on health topics.

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Clean Cooking Solutions in India Reduce Health Risks

Clean Cooking Solutions in IndiaClean cooking solutions in India are improving living conditions for millions of families who still rely on traditional fuels such as wood, charcoal and cow dung for daily cooking. These fuels are commonly used because they are familiar and low-cost, especially in rural and low-income communities. However, burning these materials releases harmful smoke and fine particulate matter that accumulates in small, poorly ventilated homes.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that household air pollution from solid fuels leads to approximately three million deaths globally each year. Many of these deaths occur in developing countries, including India. This level of preventable illness and death demonstrates the urgent need for cleaner cooking solutions.

India continues to experience high levels of indoor air pollution because a large portion of its population depends on biomass fuels. Exposure to smoke from cooking fires increases the risk of respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease and lung cancer. The health effects extend beyond individual suffering.

Families often face rising medical costs, reduced productivity and lost income when adults become ill. Children exposed to smoke are more likely to miss school due to sickness, which can limit long-term educational outcomes and future opportunities. These combined impacts place additional strain on households already living with limited financial resources.

Government Programs Supporting Clean Cooking

One of the most important government efforts to address indoor air pollution in India is the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). This program provides subsidized liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) connections to low-income households to encourage families to move away from traditional biomass fuels. LPG burns much more cleanly than wood or dung, producing far less smoke inside the home.

As a result, households that adopt LPG experience improved indoor air quality and reduced exposure to harmful pollutants. The International Energy Agency reports that households using LPG instead of traditional fuels experience lower rates of respiratory illness and spend less time collecting firewood.

For many women, this change is particularly significant. In households that rely on wood or dung, women often spend hours each day gathering fuel and cooking in smoky conditions. Switching to LPG saves time and reduces daily exposure to harmful smoke, improving both health and overall quality of life.

In addition to LPG, government-supported programs have encouraged improved kitchen ventilation and safer stove designs in areas where LPG access remains limited. While these measures do not eliminate smoke, they help reduce the concentration of harmful particles inside homes and provide a transition pathway toward cleaner fuels.

The Role of Nonprofits and Community-Based Solutions

Nonprofit organizations have played a key role in expanding access to safer cooking options. The Clean Cooking Alliance works with local partners in India to promote improved cookstove technologies that burn fuel more efficiently and release fewer pollutants than traditional open fires. These stoves often include enclosed combustion chambers and chimneys that direct smoke outside the home, helping reduce indoor air pollution levels.

In rural communities, biogas initiatives have also contributed to cleaner cooking options. Biogas systems convert organic waste, such as animal dung, into cooking fuel, reducing dependence on wood and improving household sanitation. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) highlights that biogas programs in India support cleaner energy access while reducing environmental damage linked to deforestation and unmanaged waste.

These projects often involve community-level participation, which helps ensure long-term use and maintenance of the systems.

Long-Term Benefits for Health and Communities

Clean cooking solutions in India offer benefits that extend beyond reducing indoor air pollution. Healthier families spend less money on medical care and experience fewer missed workdays, improving household economic stability. Children who live in smoke-free environments are more likely to attend school regularly and perform better academically.

In addition, reduced demand for firewood eases pressure on local forests, helping protect natural ecosystems. The World Bank notes that access to clean cooking supports economic development while improving health and environmental sustainability. Continued investment in LPG programs, improved distribution of cookstoves and community biogas initiatives will be essential to expanding access to clean cooking across India.

By improving how meals are prepared in everyday households, clean cooking solutions reduce health risks and create safer living environments for millions of families. These efforts demonstrate how practical, targeted interventions can lead to long-term improvements in health, education and economic stability.

– Dylan Chandran

Dylan is based in Danville, CA, USA and focuses on Business and Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Tackling NTDs in Fiji

NTDs in FijiFiji is an archipelago situated in the South Pacific, with a small population of just under 1 million. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared all Pacific countries particularly vulnerable to the spread of infectious diseases and natural disasters due to the acute effects of climate change in the region. Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are an umbrella group of more than 20 infectious conditions most commonly affecting poorer populations in tropical regions.

NTDs have a far-reaching impact on the communities where they circulate, often carrying a poor prognosis and leading to disfigurement or death. Beyond the severe physical implications, NTDs are associated with social exclusion and cycles of poverty stemming from the poor health of the infected individual. However, with effective management and coordination strategies, the impact of NTDs can be significantly reduced. Through sustained effort from both a social and medical perspective, Fiji has seen several landmark successes in its fight against NTDs. Below are three examples of progress in the fight against NTDs in Fiji.

Elimination of Trachoma

Trachoma is the leading infectious cause of blindness in the world and is spread by direct contact with infected individuals. The overall number of people at risk of contracting trachoma due to residence in an endemic region has more than halved between 2010 and 2024, due to improved data collection and the successful implementation of the WHO’s reduction strategy. In 2025, Fiji eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. This made it the first Neglected Tropical Disease in the country to achieve this status, as granted by the WHO.

The WHO attributed the elimination to extensive testing, public health initiatives and awareness efforts. The elimination of the disease marks a turning point in a country where trachoma had at several points been a public health concern, notably during a resurgence in the 2000s.

National Response to Scabies

Scabies is a highly infectious disease that is particularly prevalent in impoverished communities in tropical areas. It can lead to severe illness, including heart disease and kidney disease.

Scabies has historically been prevalent in Fiji. In 2016, the government found that skin and soft tissue infections, of which scabies is a part, were the fifth-highest cause of death in the country. Faced with this challenge, Fiji carried out a national scabies audit and subsequently embarked on a program of mass drug administration (MDA).

Fiji was one of the first two countries in the world to implement MDA for scabies. One study showed that the program significantly reduced community prevalence of scabies within a year, from 32% to 2%. The campaign was successful in reducing the prevalence of the NTD to a controllable level, marking a significant achievement for national disease prevention efforts.

Lymphatic Filariasis

Lymphatic filariasis is a Neglected Tropical Disease spread by infected mosquitoes that causes abnormal swelling. It is commonly found in low-income communities where access to health care and sanitation is limited. Although it has faced several challenges in the effective control of lymphatic filariasis, Fiji has made and continues to make progress in tackling the disease. Between 1997 and 2007, Fiji significantly reduced the presence of the NTD, partly due to successful mass drug administration. The mass drug administration program is still underway, with coverage having reached more than 94% of the population, and transmission of the disease among at-risk populations having dropped by 43%.

Looking Ahead

Neglected Tropical Diseases remain a significant global health priority, especially among impoverished communities in tropical areas. However, Fiji has demonstrated how public health measures, community engagement and awareness efforts can contribute to reducing, and in some cases eliminating, NTDs.

– Phoebe Lang-Clapp

Phoebe is based in Montréal, Canada and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Debt Relief in Zambia and Support for Public Health Systems

Debt Relief in ZambiaDebt relief in Zambia has been pursued through international restructuring mechanisms, including the G20 Common Framework, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and official bilateral creditors. Zambia faced elevated external debt levels before restructuring. It entered into a formal debt treatment process under the Common Framework for Debt Treatments beyond the Debt Service Suspension Initiative.

On June 22, 2023, Zambia’s Ministry of Finance and National Planning announced that Zambia had reached an agreement with its Official Creditors’ Committee on debt treatment under the Common Framework. The IMF issued a statement the same day welcoming the agreement and describing it as a significant step toward restoring debt sustainability. The Paris Club has also documented the establishment of a creditor committee for Zambia under the Common Framework, identifying the coordination structure for official creditors participating in Zambia’s treatment.

Structure of the IMF Program Supporting Debt Relief

In August 2022, the IMF Executive Board approved a 38-month Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement for Zambia. The IMF stated that the program aimed to restore macroeconomic stability and restore debt sustainability. It further noted that the arrangement was designed to create fiscal space for social spending.

In January 2026, the IMF reported the completion of the sixth and final review under the ECF arrangement, noting total disbursements under the program and describing ongoing reform efforts. The IMF has publicly linked the ECF-supported reform program to fiscal consolidation measures and debt restructuring milestones. The debt treatment agreement under the Common Framework, according to the IMF, was consistent with restoring debt sustainability.

International Institutions Supporting Zambia’s Health System

The World Bank Group issued a public statement on June 22, 2023, welcoming the Official Creditors’ Committee agreement on Zambia’s debt treatment. The Group described it as a milestone toward restoring debt sustainability. In addition to macroeconomic support, the World Bank documentation identifies active health-sector projects in Zambia.

The “Zambia COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project” states that its development objective is to prevent, detect and respond to COVID-19 threats in Zambia and strengthen national public health systems for preparedness. The World Bank also hosts documentation on Zambia’s National Health Compact, which outlines financing targets and policy commitments in the health sector. There is insufficient data, based solely on the publicly available compact document, to verify whether all financing targets have been fully implemented.

Debt Relief in Zambia as a Fiscal Policy Tool

Public statements from Zambia’s Ministry of Finance and the IMF describe debt relief in Zambia as part of a broader effort to restore debt sustainability and stabilize public finances. IMF communications explicitly state that creating fiscal space for social spending is an objective of the ECF-supported program. There is insufficient data, from the cited sources alone, to verify a quantified causal relationship between specific debt restructuring milestones and year-by-year changes in Zambia’s public health budget allocations.

Verification would require direct reference to Zambia’s enacted national budgets and attributable institutional analysis linking debt-service adjustments to sectoral expenditure changes.

– Aiden Moriarty

Aiden is based in Rowley, MA, USA and focuses on Business and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Efforts To Address Maternal Health Care in Zimbabwe

Maternal Health Care in ZimbabweThe poverty rate in Zimbabwe sits at 49.22%, with almost half the population living on $3.00 or less a day. This high poverty rate translates to 358 women dying during live birth out of every 100,000 women that give birth, as of 2023. Even though the maternal mortality rate has been decreasing over the years, it remains important to address adequate maternal health care in Zimbabwe.

Challenges To Maternal Health Care in Zimbabwe

There is a high rate of adolescent pregnancies in Zimbabwe, with more than 10% of births coming from women aged 15–19 years. For adolescent mothers in particular, the biggest barrier to receiving maternal health care is the stigma that comes with being a young mother. Other barriers for expectant mothers include cost, distance, cultural preferences, religious beliefs, a lack of information and distrust in the formal health care system.

Many women in Zimbabwe are hesitant to seek care from the public health system because of the lack of privacy and genuine care from these health professionals. With almost half of the population living in poverty, it becomes very difficult to afford private health services or travel out of rural areas to receive them. That being said, according to Amnesty International, more than 20% of women give birth without any skilled assistance. 

Traditional Birth Attendants

In response to cultural preferences and religious beliefs, many women in rural Zimbabwe seek maternal health care from traditional birth attendants. These are often other women with extensive experience with live births, whether from their own births or those of family or friends. They assist expectant mothers who are unable to access the public health system. 

Traditional birth attendants mainly operate in rural areas without sufficient maternal health care support. These women do not have any professional training or the tools necessary to conduct safe births. They function solely on their independent knowledge and desire to help pregnant women who have no support from family. 

However, their presence is still incredibly helpful in ensuring safer births that would otherwise not occur. In particular, the group Women in Action, which is based in Epworth, a populated community near Harare, has become an essential resource for young women expecting children. Women in Action was founded in 2003 and has since assisted with more than 50,000 live births. 

Its work is not confined to the immediate birth. The organization also helps with prenatal and postnatal care, something many women in rural Zimbabwe do not receive. “Soon after delivery, [the women] accompany mothers and newborns to nearby facilities for postnatal attention and even help arrange housing for new mothers if needed, bridging a critical gap in Zimbabwe’s overstretched maternal health system.” 

Traditional birth attendants are essential to achieving adequate maternal health care in Zimbabwe. They should be provided with more support to help pregnant women best. 

AI Midwife

Another innovation helping maternal health care in Zimbabwe is the creation of the AI midwife, Nyamukuta. This AI chatbot was created by a group of Zimbabwean women who noticed the lack of maternal health care in their communities. They designed the app to generate no profit, but rather to help pregnant women access more accessible care. 

Given concerns that many people lack internet access, Nyamukuta was designed as a WhatsApp chatbot to make the midwife accessible in areas with slow internet access. Alongside the AI informational chatbot, the creators of Nyamukuta distributed blood pressure machines to pregnant women to help them monitor their health more effectively.

Conclusion

Combining Nyamukuta’s efforts with those of traditional birth attendants could have a significant impact. Traditional birth attendants lack the proper tools to serve their communities adequately. 

With portable blood pressure machines and access to the information Nyamukuta provides, they would have a significant advantage in the care they can offer. Meaningful strides are already being made to address maternal health care in Zimbabwe and the trend is upward.

– Kaitlyn Crane

Kaitlyn is based in Rohnert Park, CA, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Advancing Women’s Health Care in Lebanon

Women’s Health Care in LebanonWomen’s health care in Lebanon and its associated biases are linked to the country’s collapsing economy. The crisis began in August 2019 and was made worse by COVID-19. In 2024, it was estimated that 44% of Lebanon’s population lived below the poverty line, a number that more than tripled over the last decade. 

Positively, the World Bank reported that the country witnessed a “fragile rebound” in its economy at the end of 2025. The Group foresees steady GDP growth in 2026. However, it warns that multiple threats could put this trajectory at risk of another collapse.

With government systems failing, families have had to rely on nonprofits for essential aid. Anera, a nonprofit organization that previously focused on aiding refugees, estimates that about 50% of the people it is helping now are Lebanese. Moreover, due to hostilities from Israel–Hezbollah conflicts, the European Commission estimated a total of 2.2 million Lebanese people in need of humanitarian aid in 2025.

Health Care, Women and Gender Biases

While the economy is faltering, the number of women entering the health care sector in Lebanon is spiking. Now, in 2026, they represent nearly half of the medical students. This progress stands in contrast to the country’s broader gender disparities, as Lebanon ranks 136th out of 146 countries in the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Gender Gap Index.

Despite the trend of increased feminization of the workforce, women remain underrepresented in management and academic positions. They nevertheless have limited access to esteemed fellowships and specialty positions and are not paid the same wage as their male counterparts. Looking past the statistical disparities of women in the workforce, women in Lebanon face numerous barriers in health care accessibility and quality. 

The economic crisis mentioned earlier exacerbated the cost of seeking health care, affecting women and girls, especially those in underprivileged areas. Prices for menstrual products, for example, rose by up to 234% for local brands and 409% for imported ones. As a result, 66% of girls could no longer afford them and instead turned to unsanitary and often dangerous alternatives.

UNFPA

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is a human rights agency working in more than 150 countries globally to ensure that the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls are met fairly. In partnership with organizations such as UNICEF, it has raised funds, written training manuals for health care professionals and provided health care services to advance social equality and tackle gender-based violence. Its ultimate goal is to break the cycle of poverty by investing in the education of girls on the subjects of sexual and reproductive health. 

Women Now for Development 

Based in Syria and founded in Paris in 2012, Women Now for Development is a grassroots organization operating in Syria, Lebanon and Turkey. Its goal is to support, protect and empower women in their day-to-day lives. At its centers, it offers psychological and family counseling, educational support, recreational activities, vocational training and child care services. 

It targets the most vulnerable female populations: refugees and disabled women and children. Over the years, it has helped many families regain dignity and autonomy.

Looking Forward

Nonprofit organizations such as UNFPA and Women Now for Development are significant steps forward in creating a sustainable, accessible future for women’s health care in Lebanon. Evident in the country’s ever-growing poverty statistics, however, is that there is still much to be done. Part of this effort includes securing Lebanon’s economic momentum; positive reforms and efforts to uphold political stability are essential to ensuring a Lebanese health care system that is accessible, fair and inclusive.

– Brittany Buscio

Brittany is based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and focuses on Good News, Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Midwife Training and Maternal Mortality in Somalia

Maternal Mortality in SomaliaThe Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. In 2025, there were 1.5 midwives per 10,000 people in Somalia, with a stillbirth rate of 35. The country has one of the worst health indicators in the world following decades of conflict, natural disasters and disease outbreaks. Midwife training in Somalia is necessary since midwives face stigmatisation as well as a lack of support in their work, but their mission to protect and nurture more lives remains in focus.

Why is There a Crisis in Somalia?

Somalia has endured prolonged conflict between the state and non-state armed groups, with significant funding cuts in 2025. More than 1.7 million vulnerable people lost access to protection services and an estimated 6 million people are in extreme need of life-saving assistance.

Ms Fatima Mohamed Abdalla, an official of the Somali Midwifery Association, spoke about how mothers suffer from the effects of poverty, walking long distances to reach a health facility, and no ambulances for effective referral of cases to the hospital. This shows the need for a stronger maternal health workforce where midwife training in Somalia consists of an approved institution and license to practice.

Solution to Maternal Mortality Rates in Somalia?

Midwives provide holistic care that meet every woman’s individual needs, education on sexual and reproductive health and they optimize the normal processes of pregnancy, childbirth, the postnatal and newborn period.

Farhiya Ali Abdi – in a press release in 2019 – stated that she was driven by the fact that she was helping the most vulnerable people, including children as well as their mothers. In Somalia, there is a preference for Traditional Birth Attendants, rather than young midwives, due to experience and training, but this leads to a stigma arising for new healthcare professionals.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been helping the crisis in Somalia, with their Reproductive Health and Nursing and Midwifery Programme Officer based in Somaliland, Asia Osman Ahmed, advocates for the need to train and oversee the work of midwives. She described a moment of a woman waiting desperately at a health facility for help, as a traditional midwife who tried to open up her FGM stitches so that her husband could enjoy being intimate with her had cut up part of her rectum and given her second degree tears.

This is the reality of so many women in Somalia and midwife training in Somalia is more than taking care of birth processes; it is about protecting every woman and child from injustice and needless suffering. WHO has also demonstrated a need to discuss with the Government to link community midwives to qualified midwives, who have been trained by partners such as the United Nations Populations Fund.

Investment

Somalia ranks among the countries with the highest maternal mortality rate, with an estimated shortage of 20,000 midwives compared to the WHO recommended standard. Graduate midwives have identified gaps in dealing with abortion and neonatal resuscitation, indicating the need for longer clinical training periods.

In 2016, according to the Somali Health and Demographic Survey (SHDS), only 32% of Somali women delivered with the assistance of skilled birth attendants.

With more investment and training, midwives can meet about 90% of the need for essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health interventions. By 2035, they could save 4.3 million people per year, which highlights the need for more training.

A midwife is more than a trained professional, a midwife is a life saver, a source of reassurance, and a listener. Midwife training in Somalia is essential with a need for more midwives willing to fight against stigma, so that women and children have a greater chance of survival in the country.

– Anisa Begum

Anisa is based in Author’s City and State: Birmingham, UK and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Trail Bridges in Nepal: Improving Access to Schools and Clinics

Trail Bridges in NepalIn Nepal’s hill and mountain districts, seasonal rivers often separate communities from essential services. During monsoon season, rising water levels can wash away temporary crossings, forcing children, patients and families to take long detours or attempt unsafe river crossings. Trail bridges in rural Nepal are helping restore safe, year-round access to schools, health posts and emergency care. By replacing damaged or temporary crossings with durable pedestrian suspension bridges, Nepal’s trail bridge program helps reduce travel time and improve safety for rural communities.

Infrastructure and Recovery Needs

The need for resilient rural infrastructure intensified after the 2015 earthquake, which affected 31 districts and damaged transport links and public facilities. In many hill and mountain areas, the absence of a bridge can significantly extend travel time to schools, markets and health facilities, particularly during monsoon periods.

Nepal’s Department of Local Infrastructure (DoLI) coordinates the Trail Bridge Sector Wide Approach (TB SWAp), which provides national standards, financing mechanisms and institutional coordination across federal, provincial and local governments. According to DoLI, Nepal had 8,444 trail bridges in place under the sector framework, with an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 additional bridges still needed to ensure safer crossings and reduce long detours.

The framework sets an access objective aimed at limiting detours to safer crossings to within one hour, with particular focus on rural and disadvantaged communities.

Implementation relies on standardized technical designs, trained bridge builders, user committees and quality monitoring systems operating under national guidelines.

Construction Momentum and National Scale

A 2023 regional presentation on Nepal’s trail bridge sector reported that Nepal reached 10,000 trail bridges by 2023 and constructed 740 trail bridges in fiscal year 2022/2023. The same presentation reported that approximately 1 million people use a trail bridge each day.

Switzerland’s development agency, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, has supported Nepal’s trail bridge program since the 1960s.

Swiss government reports that Swiss technical support and funding support helped build more than 8,000 trail bridges, improving access to services for millions of people.

Measurable Gains in Education and Health Access

Switzerland’s government reported that the trail bridge program improved access for more than 18 million people, with about 1.4 million people using trail bridges daily.

In areas near newly built trail bridges, average school attendance increased by 16%, and visits to health centers increased by 26%.

Helvetas, which provides technical verification and engineering support to the Nepali government, reports similar outcomes: school attendance increases by an average of 16% and consultations at health centers rise by 26% following construction of a new trail bridge.

Helvetas also reports that each bridge shortens and secures travel routes for an average of approximately 1,800 people.

Why the Model Works

Nepal’s trail bridge sector combines national technical standards with decentralized delivery. The TB SWAp framework outlines institutionalized norms, standardized manuals and training systems that support construction and monitoring at multiple levels of government.

The UNCRD presentation notes that average annual construction increased under the sector-wide approach, reflecting strengthened coordination and sector planning.

Helvetas reports that more than 10,000 trail bridges have now been built in Nepal, many verified through long-term partnerships with the government.

Swiss development reporting highlights that Nepal has developed the institutional capacity to plan, construct and maintain trail bridges through national and subnational systems.

Continuing Need

Despite progress, thousands of additional crossings remain necessary to reduce unsafe river crossings and long detours in rural areas.

Documented increases in school attendance and health facility visits indicate that trail bridges in rural Nepal remain a practical and evidence-based approach to improving access to essential services for remote and marginalized communities.

– Kira Rai

Kira is based in London, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Beyond Zero: Empowering Maternal Care In Kenya

Beyond Zero: Empowering Maternal Care In Kenya The Beyond Zero mission is simple: “No woman should die while giving birth.” The campaign is a flagship maternal and child health care initiative in Kenya, reaching more than 1.2 million people through mobile clinics and medical safaris. Beyond Zero aims to expand access to quality, lifesaving health care across all 47 counties in Kenya, especially for women and infants in remote communities where services are often limited or difficult to reach.

How a Bold Promise Became a National Campaign

Beyond Zero was founded in 2014 by Kenya’s first lady, Margaret Kenyatta. Two months after assuming office, Kenyatta delivered a pledge during her maiden speech for the Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA). She vowed to use her platform to fight HIV/AIDS stigma and eliminate discrimination against people living with the disease.

Recognizing the need for stronger maternity services advocacy, Kenyatta launched Beyond Zero with a mission to reduce preventable maternal and infant deaths and eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV. After Kenyatta’s 10-year tenure as first lady, the Beyond Zero mission continues to guide the campaign as it supports women and children across Kenya.

Examples of Care Provided on the Ground

For many mothers in rural communities, long distances to facilities and a shortage of specialist staff restrict access to antenatal, postnatal and neonatal care. Beyond Zero responds by bringing services directly to communities through mobile clinics and medical safaris.

Mobile clinics are fully equipped health facilities on wheels, including trucks or large vans fitted with examination spaces, diagnostic equipment, vaccines and essential medicines. Medical safaris are short-term outreach campaigns in which teams of health professionals visit a specific region for several days to provide specialized services, deliver community education and write hospital referrals. Together, these approaches focus on interventions during pregnancy, childbirth and infancy.

  • Infant and Childhood Immunization Services. Routine vaccinations, such as tuberculosis and polio, are provided to newborns and infants to protect them from preventable diseases, particularly in remote communities.
  • Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. HIV testing and counseling are available for pregnant women. Those who test positive are linked to antiretroviral therapy to prevent transmission to their infants.
  • Cancer Screening Services. Beyond Zero provides early detection screening for breast and cervical cancer among women of reproductive age. The campaign also raises awareness through education and offers referrals for treatment when required.
  • Obstetric Fistula Awareness and Referral Services. Women experiencing poverty, malnutrition and limited health care access face higher risks of obstetric fistula, a childbirth injury that creates a hole in the birth canal. Beyond Zero works to identify, prevent and refer cases for treatment.

The Scope of Beyond Zero’s Impact Across Kenya

Since its launch, Beyond Zero has expanded from an advocacy drive into a national health initiative. Its impact is reflected in increased service delivery and expanded access in rural regions.

  • More than 45,000 households have received free health services through medical safaris.
  • Beyond Zero has implemented a Nursing Scholarship Fund for marginalized students from arid and semi-arid counties, supported by the World Bank.
  • Advocacy and health education messages have reached approximately 35 million people.
  • After coordinating the sensitization of health care workers on obstetric fistula, two counties have employed resident fistula surgeons.
  • The percentage of HIV-positive women receiving antiretrovirals increased from 66% in 2013 to 96% in 2020.

Looking Ahead 

Beyond Zero demonstrates how targeted support for maternal and child health can expand access to care across Kenya. Its mobile clinics and outreach services continue to play a role in reducing preventable deaths and improving health services for women and children in remote communities.

– Charlotte Bunn

Charlotte is based in Bristol, UK and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Health Improvements and Reducing Poverty in Uganda

Poverty in UgandaUganda has experienced notable economic growth over the past two decades. Yet, poverty, food insecurity and limited access to health care remain persistent challenges, particularly in rural and refugee-hosting regions of Uganda. According to World Bank estimates, Uganda’s national poverty rate stood at approximately 21.4% in 2016, with significantly higher rates in rural areas.

Food insecurity and undernutrition reinforced these vulnerabilities, contributing to poor health outcomes and limiting educational attainment among children. In response, the World Food Program (WFP) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) implemented a range of initiatives to address both the immediate and structural drivers of poverty and poor health in Uganda.

WFP Initiatives: School Feeding, Nutrition and Food Security

Between 2016 and 2020, WFP implemented its Uganda Country Program, which prioritized food security as a foundation for long-term development. A central pillar of this strategy was the Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) program, which provides daily meals to schoolchildren while sourcing food directly from local smallholder farmers. This approach was designed to address child hunger and education outcomes while simultaneously strengthening rural livelihoods.

According to a WFP interview with a WFP Uganda program officer, the HGSF initiative has reduced hunger-related absenteeism among schoolchildren while improving household income stability for farmers through predictable local procurement. The interview emphasizes that by linking schools to nearby agricultural producers, the program treats food assistance as both a nutritional and economic intervention rather than short-term relief. WFP reports indicate that school feeding programs reached hundreds of thousands of children annually, particularly in food-insecure regions such as Karamoja, where chronic hunger has historically undermined educational outcomes.

In addition to school meals, WFP expanded maternal and child nutrition programs, targeting pregnant women and young children during critical stages of development. Evaluations of WFP’s Uganda Country Strategic Plan found improvements in household food consumption scores and dietary diversity among participating communities.

UNDP Initiatives: Inclusive Growth and Health Infrastructure

While WFP’s interventions focused on food systems and nutrition, UNDP addressed the broader economic and infrastructural determinants of poverty and health. Through its Inclusive Growth and Resilience programs, UNDP supported job creation, micro-entrepreneurship and access to renewable energy, factors closely linked to long-term poverty reduction.

One of UNDP’s most impactful interventions has been the solarization of rural health facilities. The organization supported the installation of solar power systems in 26 rural health facilities, improving health care access for more than 700,000 people. Before electrification, many facilities relied on unreliable grid power or diesel generators, limiting their ability to provide consistent care.

UNDP reports that solar-powered facilities improved vaccine storage, expanded nighttime emergency services and strengthened maternal health care. By strengthening health infrastructure, these initiatives reduced the economic burden of illness on households. They enhanced the overall resilience of rural health systems.

Measurable Impact: Poverty Reduction and Health Improvements

The combined effects of WFP and UNDP initiatives are reflected in national development indicators. Between 2016 and 2020, poverty in Uganda declined to 20.3%. While multiple factors contributed to this trend, UNDP and WFP reports identify improved food security, social protection and service delivery as key contributors.

Nutrition and health indicators also improved over the same period. National stunting rates among children under 5 declined from roughly 29% in 2016 to 26% in 2022, reflecting gains in maternal nutrition, child feeding practices and health care access. In refugee-hosting districts, WFP-supported cash transfers linked to nutrition and health services improved dietary diversity.

They reduced reliance on negative coping strategies. The WFP interview-based video evidence further reinforces these findings by illustrating how school feeding programs improved attendance and learning outcomes, thereby demonstrating the long-term poverty-reduction potential of investing in child nutrition and education.

Challenges and Ongoing Constraints

Despite measurable progress, significant challenges persist. Funding volatility poses a major threat to program sustainability, particularly in refugee-hosting areas. WFP evaluations warn that reductions in donor funding have led to ration cuts in some regions, reversing gains in food security and nutrition.

Climate shocks, including droughts and floods, further undermine agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods, placing additional strain on food systems. UNDP reporting also notes capacity constraints at the local government level, which can limit the scaling and institutionalization of successful initiatives. These challenges highlight the need for sustained investment and stronger national ownership of development programs.

Conclusion

UNDP and WFP initiatives in Uganda demonstrate that poverty reduction and health improvement are most effective when addressed through integrated, multi-sectoral strategies. These programs linked school feeding to local agriculture. They expanded nutrition-linked social protection and also strengthened the health care infrastructure through renewable energy.

Together, these efforts addressed both immediate vulnerabilities and long-term development needs. The measurable declines in poverty and child malnutrition between 2016 and 2022 suggest that coordinated development interventions can deliver tangible results even in complex and resource-constrained contexts. As Uganda continues to confront climate risks, demographic pressures and funding uncertainty.

However, the UNDP–WFP model offers a compelling example of how development and humanitarian action can work together to deliver sustainable, inclusive outcomes.

– Akash Ramaswamy

Akash is based in Mississauga, Canada and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Health Care Homecoming: Nurses from Rural Kenya

nurses from rural KenyaIn a busy isolation facility in Murang’a County, central Kenya, nurse Rose Nyawira scrambles between COVID-19 patients to give them the right amount of oxygen. There is only one oxygen cylinder available between them. Rose recognized the need for a more efficient means of distributing oxygen. She conducted research and discovered a device that allows multiple patients to access oxygen from the same cylinder. Her efforts earned her recognition as Murang’a County’s Nurse Practitioner of the Year at the Beyond Zero Awards in 2022.

Like Rose, a group of nurses from rural Kenya is being trained through a partnership between the Beyond Zero Program, Kenya Medical Training College and Roche, a Swiss-based research-focused health care company. Nurses return to their home counties to work in mobile maternal and child health clinics. These clinics provide families, particularly women and children in remote areas, with access to health care.

“I realized very early on in life that I have a gift of caring for other people. After interacting with nurses from rural Kenya, I knew that this was the profession that would help me exercise my gift,” Rose said.

Beyond Zero: The Initiative

Kenya’s first lady, Margaret Kenyatta, launched the Beyond Zero Program in 2014 with the goal of providing maternal and child health care to underserved rural counties. This medical care includes antenatal care, immunizations, family planning, screening and health education. Since 2014, it has provided primary health care to roughly 1.2 million people and reached approximately 45,000 households through mobile medical clinics known as Medical Safaris staffed by nurses from rural Kenya. In 2019, the program donated 52 fully equipped mobile clinics to all 47 counties in Kenya.

Partnership and Training

With support from ROCHE, Beyond Zero has strengthened primary health care by training more health care workers in rural areas. The program offers community health training scholarships through Kenya Medical Training College to train young people from arid and semi-arid regions. Scholarships for student nurses from rural Kenya cover tuition, uniforms, meals and essential supplies, reducing financial barriers for students from underprivileged regions.

The CEO of Kenya Medical Training College, Dr. Kelly Oluoch, emphasized the impact of training Enrolled Community Health Nurses for marginalized communities. “When ECHNs are trained and deployed to their home regions, we see higher retention rates due to their local ties and understanding of cultural and linguistic barriers to health care access,” he said.

Farah’s Story

Beyond Zero’s mobile clinics are staffed with nurses and equipped with vaccines, medical supplies, food and antimalarial drugs, providing rural communities with access to essential medical care.

Farah Kalmoy is one of the beneficiaries. He brought his 9-month-old son to a mobile medical clinic for his measles vaccine. “My home is six kilometers away from Wajir County Referral Hospital, which is the nearest health centre where I can access the medical services,” he said. Without access to the mobile clinic, Kalmoy said he would not have been able to bring his son for vaccination.

Beyond Zero’s nurses serve as a connection between rural communities and Kenya’s health care system. Because many are from the local communities, cultural familiarity can help build trust. The mobility of the clinics allows services to reach remote areas where fixed facilities may be limited.

Looking Ahead

Support continues for nurses in training and for the Beyond Zero Program. The Kenyan government, in partnership with organizations such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Roche, plans to expand training and strengthen retention to improve access to maternal and child health services in remote areas. These efforts highlight the role of nurse training in strengthening health care access in Kenya.

– Caleb Dueck

Caleb is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr