Mobile Clinic Partnerships for Human Health and Conservation

Both nature and humanity are facing unprecedented challenges. We developed a bold approach that unites health care, education, and conservation. In 2007, we established a mobile clinic to provide health services and deliver conservation messages around Kibale National Park, Uganda. Our approach is based on the fact that, in the tropics, most suffering is due to the simple lack of accessibility to health knowledge and services. In Uganda, 30% of all deaths among children are caused by malaria, that could be treated or prevented. These trends are most severe in remote regions which are also often home to protected areas for wildlife. This juxtaposition between humans and protected areas provided a unique opportunity for the partnership between conservation and health care. Our Mobile Clinic travels around the park, bringing basic health care, family planning, deworming, HIV/AIDS treatment and counselling, vaccinations, and health and conservation education to remote villagers around Kibale.