A Methodological Approach
Mobile Health Units (MHUs) are often used to provide health care in unstable situations, such as armed conflicts, where fixed services cannot function for reasons of security. They are, however, a controversial way of providing health care, because of their cost, their irregular service provision and their logistical complexities. Drawing on the experience of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and on the relevant literature, this Network Paper provides a decision-making framework for health care workers considering whether to use MHUs. It argues that, although a logical approach in contexts where traditional permanent (fixed) health structures are unavailable, absent, overburdened or dysfunctional, other options should be considered before embarking on the wholesale substitution of health care services through mobile health units or other structures.
This paper is intended to guide public health professionals
providing health services at primary level in the process of
deciding whether to include Mobile Health Units in their
programmes. It gives an overview of the place of MHUs in a
health care system, and provides the theoretical background
to the decision-making process around how and when to set
them up. The paper elaborates on the strengths and
weaknesses of Mobile Health Units, and uses practical
examples both from the literature as well as from the
authors’ own field experiences to illustrate its argument.