On Saturday, August 29, 2026, Give Basic Needs brought the Northern Health Shield to Katani in the Gushegu Municipality, delivering preventive healthcare and essential supplies to hundreds of community members.
The event presented its share of challenges. Rain and the time required to complete the logistical setup delayed the start of activities, but neither prevented the team from pursuing its goal. Contractors and team members remained committed throughout the day, and when daylight began to fade, quick arrangements were made to provide lighting so services could continue after dark.
By the end of the event, 971 patient encounters had been recorded, just 29 short of our target of serving 1,000 people.
971 People Reached Through Our New Clinic Module
Katani marked an important implementation of our new clinic operations module, designed to improve patient flow, role coordination and the movement of people through the different stages of care.
Despite the delayed start, the system enabled our contractors and clinical teams to serve a large number of people efficiently.
Through the outreach, 605 Hepatitis B vaccines were administered. The event also distributed 860 bars of antibacterial soap, 419 sanitary pads and 136 condoms, alongside deworming interventions comprising 540 adult doses of albendazole, 234 child doses of albendazole and 29 doses of ivermectin.
Children represented a significant proportion of those reached. Shield App analytics showed that 42% of patients were children under 16, while 58% were adults aged 16 and above. Women and girls accounted for 68% of encounters, compared with 32% for males.
Screening That Helps Identify Health Needs
Preventive screening remained a central part of the Northern Health Shield model.
Clinical data recorded during the event showed 18 positive Hepatitis B results and 44 positive Hepatitis C results, with no positive HIV results recorded. This represented 61 positive results across the tests conducted.
The recorded positivity rates were 2.2% for Hepatitis B and 5.5% for Hepatitis C, with an overall positivity rate of 6.3% among those tested.
These numbers reinforce why screening is an important component of our work: bringing preventive services closer to communities can help identify health concerns that may otherwise remain unknown.
Shield App Brings the Outreach to Our U.S. Team in Real Time
Katani also demonstrated the growing role of technology in how Give Basic Needs delivers and measures its medical programs.
Throughout the event, contractors used the Shield App to capture clinical and operational data as patients moved through the outreach.
This meant that while contractors were serving people on the ground in Katani, members of our U.S. team could watch the outreach data come in in real time.
This gives our teams greater visibility into what is happening on the ground and provides structured data that can help us evaluate each outreach and improve future events.
When the Sun Went Down, Service Continued
Perhaps one of the strongest reflections of the day was the commitment of the people behind the numbers.
The event started later than planned because of rain and logistical preparations. As the hours passed, however, contractors continued working through the different stations to ensure that as many people as possible received care.
When darkness approached and people were still waiting, the team made quick arrangements for lighting and continued serving after dark.
Reaching 971 people under those circumstances reflected the passion of our contractors, healthcare professionals, operations team and everyone who contributed to making the Katani Giving Event possible.
The Target Remains 1,000
Our goal is to build a system capable of consistently serving 1,000 people at a Northern Health Shield medical event.
At Katani, we reached 971.
With the new clinic module, trained contractors, improved operational systems and real-time data collection through Shield, we are encouraged by what is now possible. We will continue learning from each event, strengthening the model and working toward reaching—and eventually exceeding—our 1,000-person target.
To our contractors, healthcare professionals, team members and the Katani community: thank you for making the day possible.
Together, we continue to create healthier communities, one small act at a time.
Small Acts. Big Happy.