Malume Michael Comprehensive Home-Based Health Care Program
Bringing Health Care Home: The Malume Michael Comprehensive Home-Based Health Care Program
In many rural communities, access to quality healthcare remains a great challenge. For families in the Kasese Catchment Area of Dowa District, the nearest health facility may be several kilometers away, with few transport options. The costs, long travel times, and stigma around certain illnesses such as HIV, can make seeking care difficult.
At Orant, we believe that everyone has the right to good health, no matter who they are, what they have and where they live. This is what birthed the Malume Michael Comprehensive Home-Based Health Care Program (MMCHBHC), an initiative that takes health services directly into people’s homes.
Why does Home-Based Care Matter?
Home is where people feel safest and most comfortable. For those with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or limited mobility, it is also the most practical place to receive care. Our approach follows the Comprehensive Primary Health Care model recognized by the World Health Organization as the most effective way to deliver equitable and accessible health services.
What does the program intend to do?
Through the MMCHBHC, trained Community Health Workers (CHWs) will be visiting households in the Kasese Catchment Area to provide:
- Health promotion: Education on nutrition, hygiene, safe water, and healthy lifestyles.
- Disease prevention: Immunizations, health screenings, and awareness campaigns on HIV, TB, malaria, and non-communicable diseases.
- Treatment and referrals: Basic medical care for common illnesses and guided referrals to health facilities when more specialized care is needed.
- Rehabilitation and palliative care: Support for those living with disabilities, recovering from serious illness, or in need of end-of-life care.
These Community Health Workers are members of the very communities they serve. They understand local culture, speak the same languages, and have built relationships of trust, making it easier for patients to accept care and follow medical advice.
Our Goal and Vision
The goal of our MMCHBHC is simple but powerful: make quality health care more accessible, equitable, and effective for everyone in our community. By providing services at home, we believe it will remove barriers to care, improve health outcomes, and help reduce preventable illnesses and deaths.
This program builds on OCA’s ongoing health services , including our Kasese Health Centre and Mobile Outreach Clinics, and works in close partnership with the Government of Malawi. Together, we aim to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being, ensuring no one is left behind. We aim to see higher immunization rates, fewer preventable deaths, and healthier families across Kasese.
