OUR WORK
Mobile Care Clinic
In 2019, an estimated 23% of the population in Guam was without insurance or underinsured. For these 38,000 or so people, access to free healthcare was out of reach, or if they did have medical coverage, it was barely enough to cover treatments and consultations.
These members of our community were also likely struggling with poverty. When you don’t even have enough money to spend on food or daily needs, healthcare would be the last thing on your mind. The only choice was to forego checkups and basic healthcare practices.
Knowing the plight of the underserved, we sought to bring medical care to them. Our solution? The Todu Guam Mobile Care Clinic. This is our clinic on wheels, which serves as a mini healthcare facility during medical outreaches in the communities. Going directly to those who need it most eliminates another hindrance to healthcare access—transportation.
At the Mobile Care Clinic, we provide basic and preventive health services. These include primary care doctor visits, examinations, sports physicals, immunizations, TB shots, oral evaluations, vision tests, and other health care services. All these are done at no cost to the patient.
PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS
TB ELIMINATION
We at Todu Guam can’t do it alone. That’s why we partner with different organizations that share our advocacy of getting Guam healthy. In an effort to eradicate the spread of tuberculosis (TB) on the island, we partnered with the Guam DPHSS TB Elimination Program.
Together with Guam DPHSS, we use TGF’s existing community outreach initiatives to continue raising awareness of LTBI/TB risk while also promoting testing and treatment of this disease. Through funding by a mini-grant from the AAPCHO TB Elimination Alliance, TGF was able to provide TB education to over 900 Guam residents.
In 2023, TGF received 2 national awards in recognition of our work in Tuberculosis education and prevention. The Todu Guam Foundation is a recipient 2023 CDC TB Elimination Champion, and 2023 Joe T. Ware Partner Service awards.
This program’s activities are funded through a mini-grant by the TB Elimination Alliance.
Not many people know that leprosy still exists to this day. Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) is a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) in Guam. The incidence of Hansen’s Disease in Guam is currently 1.9 cases per 100,000 people, and 149 cases have been detected since 2011 if untreated. Nerve damage can result in blindness and the crippling of hands and feet.
In an effort to promote awareness and eradication of leprosy, we have joined the Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy (GPZL). The GPZL is a coalition of individuals and organizations committed to global leprosy eradication. It facilitates the alignment of the leprosy community and accelerates effective collaborative action to achieve the goal of zero leprosy cases. TGF, in partnership with GPZL and the Department of Public Health and Social Service (DPHSS), is developing a country-level strategic plan to eliminate the disease in Guam through country reviews, roadmaps, and action plans.
The program’s activities are funded through a grant by the Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy.
VACCINES FOR CHILDREN/ADULTS
In January 2023, TGF became a provider for the Vaccines for Children (VFC) and Vaccines for Adults (VFA/317) programs, which are federally funded programs that provide vaccines at no cost to individuals who may not have access to immunizations. Through our partnership with this program, TGF has provided immunizations at no cost to hundreds of eligible children and adults.
In October 2023, TGF successfully passed the VFC compliance site visit, accompanied by local and federal program officers, which ensured that TGF continues to provide quality care to our patients. With this continued partnership, TGF can fill the gaps in access to care and ensure that all children and adults are vaccinated!
