The GeoHealth Systems (GHS) Program provides the unique means to step up the fight against Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and literally any disease or health related issue in the developing world. Due to inefficient health sector capabilities, the majority of developing countries plagued with poverty, especially in rural areas, must have an efficiently functioning health sector if the goal of eradicating diseases that scourge underserved populations is ever to be controlled and eliminated. IDP, through years of travel and observations, created the GHS Program to address these underlying issues of poor health care in the developing world.

Characterized as a horizontal approach to health sector strengthening, the GHS Program undertakes the study of current health sector needs, and tailors the interventions to effectively improve the underlying infrastructure and human capacity. Once the infrastructure and human capacity is sufficiently strengthened, tailored interventions (vertical programming) such as the control of Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, Malaria and water-borne diseases can be effectively implemented.

Strengthening of the health service delivery infrastructure concerns both material and human strengthening. Material strengthening consists of resource and equipment donations, made by or through IDP, as well as physical infrastructure improvements such as laboratory construction or repair, emphasizing quality control. Human strengthening is made possible through the training and re-training of doctors, nurses, health workers, laboratory technicians, microscopists, midwives, nursing assistants, health educators, medical and clinical officers, records assistants as well as health inspectors.

Where present, the GHS Program enjoys unprecedented cross-sector support and a committed local buy-in. IDP takes great care in mobilizing local governments, NGO's and communities, in addition to donors, in order to ensure the overall financial sustainability of the intervention. These grass-roots collaborations are a key aspect in fostering local ownership, and provide the local populations and their local government representation the opportunity to participate in improving their own conditions. Such critical stakeholder investment is recognized as a vital component to the success and sustainability of the program.

The GHS Program is currently operating in Uganda, and is being expanded to Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico and the Marshall Islands.

Infrastructure Support

Additional infrastructure support will be made available by two very unique pieces of equipment developed by IDP. The Netrans and Medtrans units will be deployed to supplement existing health infrastructure to provide IDP with the immediate means to support the implementation of the GHS Program. This equipment will allow for training, research, surveillance, advancd laboratory capacities, x-ray capabilities and Internet connectivity.

Additional information on the Netrans and Medtrans can be found here.