Nearly 2000 mobile clinics were being used as mode of providing humanitarian health services across Health Clusters in 2024[1]. Types of services delivered, frequency of visits, and composition of health staff however have varied
To support accountability to affected populations and to enable quality improvement in humanitarian health response, the High Priority Health Services for Humanitarian Response was launched in July 2024. This provides a global reference point for Health Cluster Partners and defines a set of prioritized health interventions by the different service delivery platforms that can be delivered to populations affected by humanitarian crisis.
Defining a minimum service package1) ensures accountability so populations know what services they are entitled to receive, 2) allows partners to have a clear framework on what services should be provided and therefore calculate what inputs are required such as personnel and medicines 3) importantly is the basis for quality improvement. It is difficult to improve quality of care, if you do not know what care you should be providing.
As such to ensure its operational relevance for humanitarian settings, led by Save the Children and WHO (Integrated Health Services Unit and Humanitarian Health Action Unit) with the Global Health Cluster, work is being conducted to define within the global H3 which services should be delivered in mobile clinics (currently missing within the H3). The work builds upon Save the Children’s research and work to improve Quality of Care in Mobile Clinics, and integrates work conducted by Ethiopia Health Cluster to define its own minimum package including for mobile clinics. With over 60 technical experts from health cluster partners and other agencies, services are being reviewed in a Delphi process including offline review, and group consultations with the aim to finalize by December 2025.
[1] Global Health Cluster achievements tracking