Mobile HIV/AIDS Health Clinic for Africa

More than 522 teams representing 50 nations participated in the contest. Three designs were chosen by an international jury of architects and medical professionals, which convened in November, 2002 to judge the entries. Finalists were announced on World AIDS day (December 1, 2002). In addition, a Founders award was selected alongside eight notable entries. An exhibition of the winning entries and selected designs opened on December 6, 2002 in New York City, and will be displayed until January 31, 2003. Over 125 schemes from 25 countries will be on display. With the support of Virgin Atlantic and Duggal Visual Solutions, this exhibit will travel in 2003 within the United States and internationally. Money raised from the $35 submission fee (waived for entries from developing countries), donations, and additional fundraising activities will be used to build one or more prototypes of the winning concepts.

HIV/AIDS, Health.

According to Architecture for Humanity, in the past 20 years 65 million people have been infected worldwide with HIV; 25 million have died so far. The disease continues to spread. In Sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 6,000 people die of AIDS every day and an additional 14,000 are infected with HIV. It is estimated that three-quarters of the world's AIDS population lives in Sub-Saharan Africa; most have no access to lifesaving drugs, testing facilities, or even basic preventative care. One of the major factors inhibiting medical professionals in Africa from treating this disease is the inability to access vast areas of the continent with adequately equipped facilities.

Founded in 1999 by designer Cameron Sinclair, Architecture for Humanity is a volunteer non-profit organisation set up to promote architectural and design solutions to global, social, and humanitarian crises like this one. In 1999 it launched an international competition to design five-year transitional housing for Kosovo's returning refugees. Selected entries were exhibited in four countries, the publicity from which helped raise more than US$80,000 (donated to War Child). Prototypes of two winning entries have been built; two more are being developed.

Once developed, it is hoped that refined versions of the cost-effective and mobile design for HIV/AIDS clinics can be built for Africa and, eventually, replicated in other regions around the world.