Amref Health Africa
Community-led primary healthcare and health worker training.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
* | $1.7m | Grant | |
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Amref Health Africa is a non-governmental organization headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, described as the largest Africa-based healthcare nonprofit. It was founded in 1957 as the 'Flying Doctors of East Africa' by surgeons Sir Archibald McIndoe, Sir Michael Wood, and Dr. Thomas D. Rees. Their initial vision was to provide mobile surgical services to remote mission hospitals, using a medical radio network and light aircraft to coordinate services and reach isolated communities.
The organization's scope has significantly expanded over the decades. In the 1970s, Amref began focusing on training rural health workers. By the 1980s, it had shifted towards community health development, collaborating with ministries of health and international aid agencies to strengthen local health systems. The business model is that of a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. It operates by securing funding from foundations, corporations, governments, and individual donors to implement its programs. Fundraising and awareness offices in Europe and North America, such as Amref Health Africa in the USA, support the work on the continent. The organization prides itself on an Africa-led approach, with over 97% of its global staff being African.
Amref Health Africa's services are multifaceted, focusing on strengthening community health systems, training health workers, and delivering primary healthcare. Key program areas include maternal and child health, disease control for HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB, water and sanitation, and surgical outreach. A notable initiative involves a partnership with Smile Train to perform reconstructive surgeries for cleft lip and palate. In addition to its programmatic work, Amref operates subsidiaries like AMREF Flying Doctors, Amref Enterprises, and the Amref International University (AMIU), which was established in 2017 to train medical personnel. The organization's approach is community-based, viewing the people it reaches as partners rather than beneficiaries to ensure lasting health change.
Keywords: primary healthcare, community health, health worker training, African healthcare, nonprofit, Flying Doctors, maternal health, child health, disease control, health systems strengthening, surgical services, WASH, Amref International University, public health advocacy, mobile health services, community development, health education, sustainable health access, health financing, humanitarian aid