Care, knowledge and support on four wheels.

The Mobile Health Units

Star for Life’s Mobile Health Unit, give young people in southern Africa similar support to that which Swedish children get when they go to the school nurse. Here you can be weighed , measured and have your eyesight checked – but that’s not all. You can also learn about puberty, menstruation, hygiene, and nutrition. This is where we help young people understand consent and cohabitation, sexual and reproductive health, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV and AIDS. In addition, our experienced staff offer healthchecks, psychosocial counselling and distribute menstrual protection (menstrual pads or menstrual cups depending on age /maturity and local conditions, such as access to running water).

Sponsor a Mobile Health Unit

The health team

The staff at our mobile health units work in collaboration with Star for Life’s coaches and with the teachers at the schools. Through local campaigns and thematic initiatives, they increase knowledge about relevant issues and give children and young people the tools to be able to take responsibility for their own lives, health, and sexuality.

Fortunately, the AIDS epidemic is not as serious a threat today as it was when we began our work and the number of people who become infected with HIV and who die of AIDS has more than halved in the last decade. We are very happy about this development and are proud to have contributed. Our mobile health unit in KwaZulu-Natal was evaluated after five years and results showed that we contributed in reducing the spread of HIV among young people and in increasing knowledge about HIV and AIDS. But there is a lot of work left to do. Many young people still report that they feel stigmatised and discriminated against when they turn to the public health and medical services. This means that young people in general and girls in particular are still vulnerable to the spread of infection. This is why we continue our work for a better and healthier tomorrow.

Statistics for South Africa:

( source UNAIDS from 2022)

Of all young people and adults aged 15-49, 17.8% were HIV-positive. HIV prevalence is significantly higher for women (23.5%) than for men (12.1%). An estimated 160,000 adult South Africans became newly infected with HIV in 2022, or 430 people every day.

Among young people aged 10-19, i.e. the age group our programme serves, an estimated 28,000 were newly infected with HIV in 2022. This corresponds to almost 80 learners every day. About two-thirds of these newly infected young people are girls.

The situation in Namibia is largely the same as in South Africa, but the number of people affected is lower due to the much smaller population. The vulnerability of girls and young women in relation to HIV is the same throughout the southern and eastern African region.

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HIV-positive in age group 15-49 year

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HIV prevalence for men

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HIV prevalence for women

Our Teams

Our mobile health clinics are staffed by people who really want to make a difference. Through their competence and passion, children and young people are given knowledge and advice, access to health checks and psychosocial counselling. On this page you will meet those who make this work possible.