Health Poverty Action

We support the poorest and most vulnerable in their efforts to achieve better health and well-being. We give priority to indigenous people and communities affected by conflict and political instability. We work with communities, health service providers and policy makers on long-term programmes to develop appropriate and responsive primary health care and to influence policy and practice at all levels.

Health Poverty Action/ (formerly Health Unlimited) was founded in 1984 with its head office in London to support communities affected by war or conflict in their efforts to achieve better health and well-being. We have pioneered a development approach to working in post-conflict areas and across borders that invests in the potential of local people to take control of their own health.

Today Health Poverty Action works in more than 15 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. We give priority to the most marginalized, often remote, communities who are neglected by governments and virtually everyone else. We reach 3.2 million people, including over 2.4 million indigenous people each year through our primary health care programme, and an estimated 26 million through our health education radio programmes.

Working with communities rather than for them, our work leads to sustainable change. We help reduce maternal and child mortality through sustainable community based health services focusing on nutrition, immunisation, safer birthing techniques, fully equipped health centres, water and sanitation. Our health education programme includes radio soap operas, community theatre and training to promote safe motherhood and help prevent life-threatening diseases such as malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS.

Health Poverty Action has a regional office in Kunming, Yunnan province, China, called the East Asia Programme Office, and this office is responsible for our work in China and Myanmar.At present, we are the only INGO who works in China and Myanmar to carry out infectious disease control projects through cross border method.