Objective

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The objective of this analysis is to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the clinical services provided by GAIA Mobile Health Clinics in southern Malawi. We calculated the program's Average Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ACER), expressed as the financial cost per Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) averted.

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Background

GAIA, an NGO working primarily in Malawi, runs mobile clinics that provide primary healthcare in remote communities of Malawi that are between 5 to 27 km from the nearest government health facility. The seven mobile clinics are four-wheel drive ambulances that carry clinical staff and medicine to 35 different sites in three southern districts, each serving about 150 clients daily, for a total of 210,000 visits in 2025. Services include preventive care such as antenatal care and family planning, acute care for conditions such as malaria and pneumonia, and care for chronic conditions such as hypertension, HIV, and epilepsy. Mobile clinics operate in partnership with District Health Offices which co-fund them through in-kind contributions of medicine and staff.