Amref Health Africa

The current logo of Amref Health Africa, since the beginning of 2014

The Amref Health Africa logo until early 2014

The organization's previous logo

Amref Health Africa is an African non-governmental organization based in Nairobi , Kenya . The aim is to enable a comprehensive basic health service in East Africa with local specialists.

organization

Amref Health Africa was founded in 1957 in Kenya by the plastic surgeon and Albert Schweitzer student Sir Michael Wood and his colleagues Archibald McIndoe and Tom Rees. From the beginnings of the Flying Doctor Service in the 1950s, which had the aim of supplying remote bush hospitals with visits, it has become the largest non-governmental health organization on the African continent. Amref Health Africa is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.

More than 100 health-related projects are currently being carried out in seven African countries, with a focus on East Africa. Rural health care, training of medical staff and disease prevention are the main focuses of the work. In Africa, the state health system is concentrated in the large, urban centers. However, the majority of the population lives in the rural areas, which are difficult to get to and the most neglected. Amref Health Africa is primarily involved in these regions.

The main areas of work are:

Educating about and combating HIV / AIDS , tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases
Fight against malaria
Water and hygiene projects
Promoting family health
Clinic and ambulance service
Education and training of local medical staff

Amref Health Africa wants to develop, implement and evaluate relevant and cost-effective ways for new projects. By working closely with local people, the organization tries to make projects effective even after it has withdrawn. Amref Health Africa works with individuals, families, communities, governments and other partners, trying to achieve the greatest possible success with the least possible financial outlay.

Amref Health Africa attaches particular importance to training local employees to help them help themselves. For example, through e-learning for nurses. As the only medical organization of this size, the organization in Africa employs around 900 permanent staff, 95% of whom are African.

With the support of the AMREF Flying Doctors, Amref Health Africa looks after around 150 hospitals in the most remote regions of East Africa as part of the Clinical Outreach Program. In 2012, more than 7,000 visits and over 27,000 treatments were performed. More than 8,500 doctors, nurses and clinical officers received further training.

In 2012, the organization's total budget was $ 80.3 million.

Since 2014, the name of the organization is Amref Health Africa, which replaced the previous name, African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF), after more than 50 years.

Country offices in Africa

In Africa, Amref Health Africa has country offices in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Senegal.

Country offices worldwide

Country offices outside Africa, the so-called “national offices in Europe and North America”, are located in Germany , Austria , the Netherlands, Sweden, France, Spain, Italy, Monaco, England, the USA and Canada.

Germany

In 1963, at the urgent request of Sir Michael Wood, one of the founders of Amref Health Africa, Leonore Semler set up the German branch. In 2013, Amref Health Africa in Germany can look back on 50 years of experience in developing the health sector in rural Africa. Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Uganda, Ethiopia and South Sudan are the countries in which Amref Health Africa Germany supports projects.

The three main areas of activity are: Mother-Child Health, Clinical Outreach Programs (medical care and further training for rural hospitals) and Integrated WASH and Nutrition projects (provision of clean drinking water as well as sanitation and hygiene education with the integration of sustainable food supply).

Austria

Amref Health Africa Austria is an association based in Salzburg (Austria). The office was founded in 1992 by the Austrian doctor Walter Schmidjell, who has worked in Africa for many years.

Awards

2018 Princess of Asturias Prize for International Cooperation
2013 Amref Health Africa is named one of the best NGOs worldwide by The Global Journal
2011 AMREF Flying Doctors are Air Ambulance Provider of the Year
2005 Gates Award for Global Health from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
1999 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Award