CHEAR ME
About CHEAR ME
The Collaboration to Help East Africans Respond to Medical Emergencies (CHEAR ME) was launched in 2021 by charter members from Tanzania, Kenya and the US to support the systematic approach to community-based emergency medical services (EMS) development in East Africa through the exchange of ideas, information and experience.
While publicly-funded EMS systems do not exist across much of East Africa, many local communities continue to staff and manage their own volunteer emergency response systems. However, lack of recognition from national government leaders and competition from private ambulance services and well-funded hospitals and NGOs continues to hamper the growth and sustainability of publicly-accessible and locally-managed emergency response services.
In an effort to overcome the fragmentation of community EMS programs and develop local standards of practice, leaders from several East Africa EMS agencies came together to launch CHEAR ME.
The CHEAR ME Charter
MISSION
To improve the quality and accessibility of community-level emergency medical services in East Africa
VISION
A standard of practice for the development and sustainability of community-level emergency medical services in East Africa
GOALS
- A standard for training community responders
- A standard for managing response operations
- A standard for promoting organizations and services
- A standard for monitoring and evaluation of organizations and services
VALUES
- Integrity — We do what we say
- Quality — We provide immediate prehospital care services to the community at our level best
- Inclusivity— We don’t discriminate
- Community — We’re focused on empowering communities
CHEAR ME Charter Members
Mwanza, Tanzania
Tanzania Rural Health Movement works to establish model healthcare services by continually providing and improving innovative hands-on medical services in all its endeavors in Tanzania through the provision of health services, health research and environmental sustainability. TRHM aspires to excel in the provision of equal healthcare services to undeserved communities, so people all over Tanzania can live longer, healthier and happier lives.
Mombasa, Kenya
Emergency Medical Response Volunteers are community first responders in Mombasa, Kenya, who provide altruistic activity by improving human quality of life in Emergency Medical Response. We strive to unite the healthcare community by providing the highest quality of emergency critical care and non-emergency mobile response care.
Washington State, USA
Empact Northwest provides a range of open and custom rescue courses for professional emergency responders from around the world. This organization is a leader in helping communities around the world with developing plans, models, and training to ensure that they can be as prepared for disaster as possible.
Washington, DC, USA
Trek Medics International is a non-governmental organization dedicated to improving access to emergency care and transport in at-risk and vulnerable communities.
