IN it’s relentless efforts to address mental health conditions through the provision of comprehensive health services to underserved communities, the USAID Controlling HIV Epidemic for Key and Underserved Populations II (USAID CHEKUP II) Activity has launched two state-of-the-art mobile clinic vans.
The mobile clinic vans, which were launched today in Lusaka, come at a time when the country is experiencing several challenges affecting citizens’ mental health, such as climate change, which may increase the risk of underserved populations contracting HIV through increased transactional sex and early marriages
Speaking at the launch of the clinics, Minister of Small and Medium Enterprise Development, Hon. Elias Mubanga, described the vans as a milestone worth writing home about.
Earlier, the USAID Health Office Director, Rachel Goldstein, pledged the Mission’s commitment to working with the government in providing inclusive health services to underserved communities in Zambia.
The use of the mobile clinic vans will allow for screening for common mental health disorders, provision of psychoeducation, psychological first aid, alongside other critical biomedical services, such as HIV testing.
By integrating mental health services with biomedical services, the mobile clinic vans will ensure the provision of comprehensive health services that are inclusive and convenient.
The mobile clinic vans were launched during the commemoration of the 2024 World Mental Health Day, which is being held under the theme “It’s Time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace”.
Mental health is at the center of the USAID CHEKUP II Activity’s community-driven interventions.
@USAID Zambia @Ministry of Health