For years, families in Beu, Mzimba North struggled to access basic healthcare. The nearest facility was far, transport costs were high, and many mothers, children, adolescents, and the elderly faced challenges accessing vital services. Families were often forced to make hard choices, spending scarce money on transport or go without care.
Today, Beu outreach clinic is rewriting that story. Each month, an unfinished church transforms into a health haven for over 2,000 people. Here, healthcare goes beyond treatment, it protects dreams and secures futures. Through the Saving Lives and Livelihoods (SLL) initiative, supported by Africa CDC and the Mastercard Foundation and implemented by Amref Health Africa in Malawi, communities receive integrated health services closer to home.
A Clinic That Starts with a Health Talk
The day begins with a health talk inside the unfinished church. Families learn about prevention, healthy living, and the importance of immunisation, setting the tone for the day. Services offered include: immunisation, growth monitoring, nutrition screening, antenatal care, family planning, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) screening, cough and fever treatment, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination for cervical cancer prevention, Human Immuno-Deficient Virus (HIV) services, and health education.
Guarding Girls’ Dreams with the HPV Vaccine
Trina (R) and Grace (L) getting their HPV vaccine at Beu outreach clinic
Trina, 14, was nervous about her HPV vaccine but smiled with relief afterward. “I want to protect myself from cancer so I can become a nurse one day,” she says proudly.
Her friends Grace, 12, who dreams of becoming a soldier, and Alepher, 11, who hopes to be a banker, also received the vaccine. Together, they represent the future that Beu Outreach is safeguarding, healthy girls with bright ambitions. On this day, 6 girls received HPV vaccines.
Mothers at the Heart of Care
For Sharon Zgambo, the outreach clinic means convenience and peace of mind. She had her high blood pressure checked, picked up an HIV self-test kit, and monitored her child’s growth, all in one visit. “I don’t spend money on transport. I get home in time to take care of my family,” she explains.
Ivy, a mother of three, beams as her baby is weighed, while she accesses family planning. She saves MK 1,500 (About $1) in transport costs each month. “That money feeds my children. This clinic is a blessing,” she says.
A One-Stop Health Centre for the Whole Community
From nutrition screening, NCD checks, malaria treatment, to cough and fever treatment, the outreach provides it all.
“Every month, we attend to over 100 clients. People no longer have to travel long distances or struggle with costs. Services are right here in their community.” says Gift Chirwa, the senior Health Surveillance Assistant at the outreach clinic.
On this day, 71 children were monitored for growth, 16 children were immunised, six girls vaccinated against HPV, 48 children were screened for nutrition, 4 mothers attended antenatal care, 15 people screened for NCDs, 13 cases of malaria were treated, 13 clients treated for diarrhoea, cough, or fever, 7 people accessed HIV testing services
From girls like Trina, Grace, and Alepher receiving protection against cervical cancer, to mothers like Sharon and Ivy saving money and time while keeping their families healthy, Beu outreach clinic is changing lives.
Since the Beu outreach clinic started offering integrated health services, immunisation coverage has increased from 87% in March to 102% in August. For the 1,110 people in Beu’s catchment area, healthcare is no longer out of reach; it is right at their doorstep.
Through the SLL initiative, supported by Africa CDC and the Mastercard Foundation and implemented by Amref Health Africa in Malawi, Beu Clinic is more than a health service point. It is a symbol of equity, resilience, and hope for the 2,085 people it serves.
By Lusayo Banda-Communications Manager, Amref Health Africa in Malawi