We are pleased to share with you the executive summary of our forthcoming white paper, “Water-based Health Care: Have We Missed the Boat?”
Our purpose in publishing this paper is to introduce the concept of “water-based communities” and the unique interventions they require. Many do not realize that 40% of the world’s population resides within 100 kilometers of a coastline, with inland waterways containing some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. In doing so, we hope to reset the way the humanitarian and development communities view traditional health care delivery systems with respect to these communities, and to introduce a more water-centric, locally connected, and sustainable model.
We look through the lens of the Lake Tanganyika Basin to highlight the challenges water-based communities face, and how a redesigned health system using our proposed principles could positively impact water-centric populations all over the world.
Our concept of a regional hospital ship is the organizing principle to create a functional health care system in the Lake Tanganyika Basin. The full paper, due out later this year, describes our systems building approach using a regional hospital ship as a method of transport and supply chain access, and as a culturally appropriate, patient-centric, water-based facility to meet the needs of water-based communities.
We appreciate your continued support as we bring new ways of working, new thinking, and new energy to this neglected region.
