What’s the Problem?

When poor people get sick, daily life gets tougher still.

Few people living in extreme poverty benefit from universal healthcare. Recent WHO figures show that at least half the world’s population don’t have access to essential health services.

The nearest clinic or hospital can often be many miles away. Paying for transport and then treatment is very hard when every day is a struggle to survive.

The fact that most poor people rely on casual, manual work for money makes this especially tough. That dries up quickly when you’re ill and there’s no safety net of government support. Many end up in debt as a result, their pain and anxiety levels spiralling.

Some then resort to traditional healers or cures that don’t work, or make the situation even worse.

Illness is also isolating. Unable to care for themselves or connect with their community, ill people often end up shunned and lonely when they need help most.

But MAI exists to change this by supporting those providing free or low-cost, high quality healthcare to people who urgently need it.