The Challenge
Around the world, nearly nine million people die from preventable causes each year because of where they live. This inequity is particularly severe in rural and remote communities. Two billion people live beyond the reach of healthcare systems — more than half of them women and girls. Community health workers (CHWs) are proven to be one of the most effective ways to close healthcare gaps in remote communities. However, inadequate investment in health workers and a failure to integrate them into national health systems hinder the health, basic rights, and livelihoods of remote populations.
The Solution
Last Mile Health (LMH) transforms access to healthcare in remote areas by strengthening community health systems. LMH works in partnership with governments to professionalize CHWs, integrate them into national health systems, and expand access to care for patients. Professional CHWs — who are skilled, supervised, salaried, and supplied — reduce child mortality, improve maternal health outcomes, mitigate pandemics, and deliver up to 10:1 return on investment. Co-Impact has supported LMH’s work with Liberia’s government to fully scale a national CHW program and is now supporting LMH’s work across three more countries to reach 26 million people by 2028.
With Co-Impact’s support, Last Mile Health has achieved the following:
People-level outcomes
Over one million people benefit from Liberia’s CHW program.
CHWs diagnose 50% of malaria cases nationally for children under five in Liberia.
CHWs are the leading healthcare provider for children in Grand Bassa County, Liberia.
Over 17,000 community and frontline health workers deployed across four countries.
Over 20 million people with improved access to healthcare across four countries.
Systems-level outcomes
Fully scaled Liberia’s national CHW program, covering all 15 counties.
Transitioned direct management of national CHW program in Grand Gedeh County to government.
Secured a USD $1.8 million commitment from the Liberian government to put CHW supervisors on the payroll.
Co-founded the Africa Frontline First campaign to provide technical support to 17 African countries.
Mobilized USD $100 million in a catalytic fund with the Global Fund, which is the largest fund in history for CHWs.
Organisation-level outcomes
Moved the organization’s headquarters from the United States to Accra, Ghana, as part of a commitment to move power and decision-making closer to programs.
LMH’s leadership council is 76% women and 74% of LMH staff are African.
https://co-impact.app.box.com/s/sw1i6lidyq3vsj3ly7fbstjfw34a8a7c/file/1758633625405
