In Malawi, the majority of healthcare services are delivered through the government's system of clinics and hospitals. Rural clinics and hospitals provide basic care, serving the rural villages where more than 80% of the population lives. Physicians do not work in rural hospitals-rather, "Clinical officers" (similar to physicians assistants in the U.S.) are typically the medical personnel "in charge" at these facilities.

Malawi struggles to deliver health services in rural areas because the healthcare system is severely under-staffed and under-resourced. Healthcare workers are in short supply and the physician to person ratio is a bleak 1 to 100,000 people. Compare this to the U.S. where there are 250 physicians for every 100,000 people. For this reason, Malawi's nurses serve on the frontlines of the AIDS epidemic, but the nursing corps is understaffed with a mere 29 nurses for every 100,000 people-the U.S. has more than 900 nurses for the same number of people.

Making matters worse still, hospitals and clinics function with limited stores of medications and supplies. Facilities often run out of such basic supplies as latex gloves, simple pain killers, ordinary antibiotics, and materials for laboratory tests.

The AIDS epidemic has further stressed Malawi's healthcare system. It is estimated that as many of 60% of patients in Malawi's hospitals have AIDS-related illnesses. Annual malaria epidemics add further strain. During malaria outbreaks it is common to find hospital patients sharing beds. Year round, dozens and sometimes hundreds of patients gather on the grounds of rural clinics where they patiently wait to be seen.

We recognize that access to healthcare is essential in the fight against HIV/AIDS, so we created two programs that strengthen healthcare delivery by providing supplies and support to hospitals and clinics and by offering healthcare to distant villages through our Mobile Health Clinic program. These programs are saving lives as villagers are able to access HIV testing and treatment as well as basic healthcare. In addition women with HIV access life-saving, free ARV (antiretroviral) medications that protect their unborn and newborn infants from contracting the virus, reducing maternal and child mortality rates in Malawi's villages and stopping the spread of the virus to the next generation.

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