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In April 2010 the Heineken Africa Foundation approved the first project in Namibia to support the provision of mobile primary health care in rural Namibia. Funding was provided for the purchase of three mobile clinics and the support for implementation of a mobile health service programme by 2013. The project forms part of the broader Mister Sister Programme, in collaboration with Namibia Business Coalition on AIDS, the Namibia Institute of Pathology and the Namibian Ministry of Health and Social Services.

The objective is to provide mobile, basic health screening and primary healthcare (including health education) to remote communities in three regions, providing healthcare to at least 4,000 people per region per year. Farm employees and their dependents of all ages in rural areas are the primary targets of the service, with their employers contributing towards the cost of the healthcare. In addition, resource-poor community members on the clinic’s route such as pensioners, orphans and vulnerable children also receive this service, free of charge.

Routes are planned to ensure that the maximum distance that a patient has to travel to reach the clinic is 20km compared to 64km before. The clinic operates a fixed route and schedule, visiting each location every eight weeks.

The clinic offers a wide range of services, selected to cover the broadest range of primary care requirements possible. these include: confirmation of pregnancy and routine ante and post-natal care; family planning advice and supplies; routine immunisations; voluntary counselling and testing for HIV; diagnosis and treatment of routine communicable diseases, such as malaria; testing, referral and follow up on chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes; treatment for minor trauma and the provision of health education.

The first of these clinics has been operating since July 2011 and the second clinic is under construction and expected to operational in June 2012.