Strengthening Health Systems through COVID-19 and Beyond

Thursday, 19 May 2022

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From Ideas to Commitment: Leadership at VillageReach

VillageReach has seen tremendous growth since I joined in 2013. This organizational evolution has pushed us to be more explicit about how we define and actualize our values. But becoming an organization that is locally driven and globally connected did not happen overnight.

Today more than 50 percent of VillageReach’s organizational and technical leadership is based in Africa, an increase from 28 percent just two years ago.

By decentralizing our leadership structure and growing technical and operational areas in our country offices we were better positioned to adapt to COVID-19. With country and regional staff already in place, our response could be locally driven and tailored to country specific needs.

In solidarity,

Ruth Bechtel, Vice President Global Programs

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Strengthening Health Systems Through COVID-19 and Beyond

Last year, VillageReach continued to adapt while keeping in mind our big picture: to accelerate the development of people-centered health systems and to be a global leader in radical collaboration to scale and sustain impact. This mindset toward sustainability allowed us to meet a huge milestone: we helped improve access to quality health care for 58 million people in Africa, surpassing our target of reaching 50 million people by 2023.

Take a Video Tour of the Vaccinodromes of Kinshasa and Abidjan

In December 2021, VillageReach began working with governments to launch vaccinodromes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Côte d’Ivoire. The videos here tell the story of how these sites are bringing COVID-19 vaccines closer to communities and ensuring equitable access to vaccines for all.

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Drones Accelerate Diagnosis in Mozambique

In April, VillageReach and partners began the second phase of the “Drones for Health” study in Mozambique, leveraging two-way drone networks to expedite transport of infectious disease samples and deliver essential health products to facilities. This study will last six months and take place in three district hospitals and three health facilities in the province of Inhambane in southern Mozambique.

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The Everyday Heroes of COVID-19 Vaccination

Each morning since November 2021, Community Health Workers in DRC begin a treasure hunt where each new encounter could improve vaccination coverage. They survey the nooks and crannies around VillageReach's vaccinodromes to raise awareness, silence rumors and direct the community to a COVID-19 vaccination site.