(Portland, OR) August 19, 2020 – Medical Teams International is grateful to the U.S. Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) for its award of $2.9 million USD to support Medical Teams’ ongoing work to provide comprehensive and timely medical care to refugees and host populations in Tanzania.

Since 2017, Medical Teams has served Congolese and Burundian refugees in remote northwestern Tanzania (Kigoma region) in the Mtendeli and Nyarugusu camps. Poor infrastructure of health facilities, insufficient quality and quantity of staff, and inconsistent supply of essential drugs and medical equipment contribute to poor health outcomes in the camps. Medical Teams currently serves a population of approximately 176,000 refugees and host nationals.

The 2020-2021 PRM funding will support referral services for refugees across three camps, Mtendeli, Nyarugusu, and Nduta, and will provide reproductive and child health services, ensure a continuous supply of drugs, and equip health facilities with life-saving equipment in Mtendeli and Nyarugusu refugee camps. This funding is complementary to Medical Teams’ UNHCR project and is the first year of a three-year funding cycle.

“These projects will enable Medical Teams to engage more deeply in Tanzanian host communities and with government health facilities,” said Daryl Crowden, Medical Teams Country Director for Tanzania. “We are thankful to PRM for investing in our work and entrusting us to help improve and save lives where health care needs are critical in Tanzania.”

 

About Medical Teams International

Founded in 1979, Medical Teams International provides life-saving medical care for people in crisis, such as survivors of natural disasters and refugees. We care for the whole person— physical, emotional, social and spiritual. Daring to love like Jesus, we serve all people—regardless of religion, nationality, sex or race. Because every person—no matter where they are or how desperate their situation—matters. Learn more at medicalteams.org and on social media using @medicalteams. For more information and donations for Medical Teams’ work, please visit www.medicalteams.org

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