By Samrawit Gougsa
Today marks a year since Nelson Mandela’s passing, and I’d like to take a moment to appreciate the legacy he left behind. The world is undoubtedly a better place because Mandela once walked our grounds and spoke words about equality that touched countless hearts. He spent his life fighting for equality, and though most people will remember Mandela as the man who led the fight to abolish apartheid, his work in advancing health equity is equally amazing.
Here are 3 ways Mandela transformed global health:
1. Promoted children’s rights for access to life-saving vaccines
Mandela was the founding chairman of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization’s Fund Board (GAVI). Knowing that more than 3 million children were killed by preventable diseases at the time was all the motivation he needed.
At GAVI he gathered together world leaders, advocated for every child’s right to immunization, and secured over $800 million of dollars in commitments for universal vaccination programs in Africa.
2. Made health care accessible
In rural South Africa, there is only one doctor for every 5,000 patients. So what did Mandela do to ensure that every person who couldn’t see a doctor could receive health care? He built a train.
The Phelophepa, which means “good health” in the Tswana and Sotho languages, isn’t just any train. It’s a mobile hospital that brings much needed medical and educational health services to people in South Africa’s most remote areas.
The first train ran in 1994, the year Mandela was elected president. At that time, he added the right to access health care in the South African constitution.
Now, 20 years later, the Phelophepa treats an estimated 45,000 patients annually, and serves more than a million through its outreach programs into schools, villages and communities.[1]
Without the Phelophepa, most people in these villages would have no access to medical care. Or they’d have to walk for miles and wait in line for hours to see volunteer doctors and receive medical treatment for cases ranging from HIV/AIDS to cancer screening tests. It is by far one of the most innovative health care projects in the history of global health. Watch this video to learn more about the train:
3. He raised awareness around AIDS, globally
By 2000, South Africa was the country worst affected by HIV/AIDS, with more than 4 million people infected with the disease. [2]
Following his presidency, Mandela focused his attention heavily on the HIV/AIDS fight. He delivered a game-changing speech at the 2000 International AIDS Conference in Durban that changed the AIDS agenda. Mandela revisited the topic a few months later on World AIDS Day. He spoke powerfully about the state of the disease in South Africa:
“Our country is facing a disaster of immeasurable proportions from HIV/AIDS. We are facing a silent and invisible enemy that is threatening the very fabric of our society. Be faithful to one partner and use a condom… Give a child love, laughter and peace, not AIDS.”
As Mandela aged and became more fragile, he stopped attending events except those that allowed him to speak about AIDS. It became the most important work of his foundation.
But in 2005 the fight became personal. Mandela gave arguably the most powerful declaration to the world against stigma around HIV/AIDS when he held a press conference at his home to deliver one message: “My son has died of AIDS.”
Mandela had only been aware of his son’s HIV status six months prior to his death. Disclosing this personal loss to the world and shining a light on AIDS as a killer that can attack anyone was a brave act against the stigma that surrounded the illness.
[1] http://www.roche.com/sustainability/for_communities_and_environment/philanthropy/transnet-phelophepa_healthcare_train.htm
[2] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/06/nelson-mandela-aids-south-africa