Promoting health in the streets of Buenos Aires

People experiencing homelessness in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, have faced unique challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only has their access to critical services been reduced, they have been at higher risk of infection with nowhere to safely isolate. Through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), Canada helped Médicos del Mundo to provide homeless men, women and children in the city with tailored access to basic health services as well as mental health support.

In addition to offering 40 basic health-care sessions, the organization developed an early warning system for COVID-19 cases in areas where homeless people frequently spend the night. It developed a guide that listed where homeless people suspected of having COVID-19 or other respiratory diseases could find public health services. In total, the project provided 1,250 vulnerable people with critical health services and helped to prevent and treat cases of COVID-19 throughout the city.