Medics Without Borders

Environmental Health

Many developing countries, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, are plagued with many preventable diseases such as dengue, malaria, cholera, sleeping sickness, river blindness and guinea worm infections. Most families also build their houses without guidelines to proper architectural designs and do not follow zoning guidelines. Such practices lead to environmental degradations and the absence of effective sewage systems. Good hygiene has become exceedingly difficult for the people in those communities to achieve. Many families have limited access to septic systems and are often forced to dig latrines at short distances from their living quarters and where they prepare their food.

There is lack of potable water in most communities. Water is also very expensive to come by especially during the dry seasons. During the raining season, malaria and other vector-borne diseases infest the population. Unprotected water sources such as streams become breeding grounds for many diseases. Moreover, dry seasons come with their attendant bushfires which destroy the vegetation and food crops. The end results are quite glaring as the vegetation, especially forests, are destroyed and food scarcity brings enormous hunger to the population.

Medics Without Borders partners with the community to design and implement programs to safeguard the environment, practice effective farming techniques and to provide access to potable water. Our programs include the following and many more others:

Water filtration and conservation.
Rainwater harvesting.
Prevention of bushfires.
Obeying zoning regulations.
Landscaping.
Tree planting and re-afforestation.
Control and prevention of vector-borne and zoonotic diseases.
Educate community leaders on ways to access effective environmental health programs and social services for their communities.
Effective sewage management practices.

If you have the time and desire to volunteer with us, please, fill out the following forms and email them to info@medicswithoutborders.org or info@mwbhealthsystems.org

1. Application Form 2. Medical Release Form