Street Clinic Program brings care directly to people in need

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian-run Zatti Saúde Health Center, through its Street Clinic Program, has administered the flu vaccine to 38 people who are homeless in the municipality of Araçatuba, Brazil. With the aim of expanding access to vaccination, the center’s staff, in collaboration with the Municipal Health Department, carried out checks in the neighborhoods of Santana, Paraíso, Centro, Iporã, Jussara, São Paulo, Saudade and Nova York to identify people eligible for the vaccination campaign.

A Salesian explained, “The main objective of the initiative was to eliminate the geographical and social barriers that often hinder this section of the population’s access to traditional health care services. The Street Clinic is a strategy aimed at expanding access to health care services for the homeless. The teams are multidisciplinary and operate on a mobile basis, bringing care directly to where those in need are.”

Salesian missionaries offer more than 150 medical clinics and hospitals in mostly rural areas around the globe that serve a wide range of medical care needs. In many countries with Salesian programs, dental care and other necessary health services are provided to youth and their families who might otherwise have no access to health care.

Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, said, “Salesians care about the health of those we serve. Salesian medical clinics meet a range of health needs from providing preventive health screening to addressing ongoing health issues and ensuring people have the medication they need. This work is especially important in communities where there are few resources and people are at risk.”

Just over 15% of Brazilians live in poverty, with the majority living in the rural northeast of the country, according to the World Bank. While Brazil is making positive changes, there are still large gaps between the poor and the rich, and issues of income inequality and social exclusion remain at the root of poverty.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Brazil – “Zatti Saúde” launches a vaccination campaign for the homeless

Salesian Missions – Brazil

World Bank – Brazil