Many households in far-flung communities don’t have a handy medicine cabinet, so a visiting nurse or midwife can be a real lifeline - especially for mums and families with small children.

Georgia

The mountainous regions of Georgia are prone to natural disasters. Without local health workers it would be difficult for people in the region to access medical attention. Oxfam has trained health workers on public health, first aid, HIV/AIDS and the prevention of water-transmitted diseases. The health workers were also taught how to train other people, so they will be able to pass the knowledge on to their communities.

Malawi

Malawi is one of the world’s poorest countries and one of the hardest hit by HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. There are not enough trained health professionals in the country to give people with HIV/AIDS adequate medical care. Oxfam have trained health workers so that more people will receive the medical attention they need. The HIV infection is often passed from mother to baby during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. Oxfam have trained health workers how to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child. Health workers have been trained and deployed in HIV testing centres where they test people for HIV and provide counselling when they receive the results. Health workers have also learnt how to correctly administer anti-retroviral drugs, which tackle the virus itself and enables people to live longer healthier lives.