African Medical Samaritans Organisation (AMSIN)
African Medical Samaritans International Network (AMSIN) is an Africa-based humanitarian health organisation established in 2025 and headquartered in Uganda. AMSIN works to improve access to essential health information, services and referral support for people facing barriers to care, including border communities, migrants, displaced people, refugees, migrant workers, women, children, adolescents and other underserved populations.
Our approach connects community engagement with health facilities, health professionals, civil society, public and private institutions and humanitarian actors. We support health education, outreach, service navigation, volunteer mobilisation, workforce mentorship and community-informed partnerships. Our regional ambition is grounded in local relationships and partnerships, not a claim of uniform service coverage across Africa.
AMSIN is legally registered and incorporated by the Government of Uganda and the Government of Kenya, with registration processes under way in Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and
South Sudan.
Our Vision
Healthy lives and equitable access to essential health support for people of all ages, including those affected by mobility, displacement, emergencies and other circumstances of vulnerability
Our Mission
To strengthen access to people-centred health and humanitarian support through community partnerships, cross-border coordination, health workforce development and practical connections with health systems.
OUR PURPOSE
Healthcare needs do not end when a person crosses a border, moves for work, flees danger or settles in a new community. AMSIN seeks to reduce interruptions to prevention, timely care, referral and follow-up.
CORE VALUES
Humanity
Protect dignity, life and wellbeing and reduce avoidable suffering.
Equity and Inclusion
Respect people without discrimination based on nationality, migration status, age, sex, disability or circumstance.
Integrity
Act ethically and within our competence and mandate.
Accountability
Be answerable to communities, partners and supporters.
Transparency
Communicate activities, resources, limitations and results clearly.
Volunteerism and Solidarity
Support service with preparation, supervision and professional standards.
Sustainability
Strengthen local capacity and links with existing systems.
AMSIN connects community-level identification and referral with existing regional, national and local health and support services. We promote coordination, continuity of care, agreed referral processes and responsible information practices. Cross-border information exchange must be lawful, secure, proportionate and appropriately authorised.
- Community-led: listen and work through trusted local structures.
- Referral-oriented: connect people to qualified services rather than create parallel systems.
- Coordinated: respect national mandates and agree roles with partners.
- Do no harm: apply non-stigmatising, gender- and age-sensitive approaches.
- Accountable: document activities and limitations honestly.
- Responsible growth: expand only where partnerships, authorisation, capacity and resources are in place.
People on the move and communities experiencing humanitarian hardship may face exclusion, exploitation, violence, stigma and privacy risks. AMSIN’s approach includes informed consent, confidentiality, child safeguarding, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, safe referrals and accessible feedback channels. Volunteers do not investigate protection cases or promise services outside their role; specialised concerns are referred to competent providers.
Personal information is collected only when necessary, stored securely and shared only for defined, lawful purposes with appropriate authority and safeguards. Cross-border sharing follows applicable law and partner protocols.
AMSIN collaborates with ministries and district health authorities, public health and border institutions, health facilities, local governments, community-based and migrant-led organisations, universities, professional associations, humanitarian agencies, development partners, religious institutions and responsible private-sector actors. Agreements clarify responsibilities, referral processes, safeguarding, data handling, resources and accountability.
CORE TARGET CONSTITUENCIES
Cross-Border Health and Preparedness
Public health activities in border regions and at points of entry and exit that help prevent, detect and respond to health risks while supporting access to appropriate services. Activities may include community awareness, risk communication, early identification of concerns, referral pathways and coordination with authorised health authorities. Preparedness may address epidemic-prone threats such as Ebola, Marburg and tuberculosis. AMSIN’s community role complements, and does not replace, statutory surveillance or clinical services.
Migration Health and Wellbeing
Addressing health needs and barriers experienced by migrants, migrant workers, refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people and host communities throughout movement, transit and settlement. This includes service navigation, referral, culturally and linguistically appropriate information, and attention to maternal, child, adolescent and psychosocial wellbeing. Support is guided by dignity and non-discrimination, regardless of nationality or migration status, within applicable law and service protocols.
Victims, Survivors and People at Risk of Human Trafficking
Addressing health needs and barriers experienced by people exploited for labour, modern slavery or sexual exploitation, who require intensive rehabilitation and protection, and people at risk of trafficking, including informal-sector workers such as day labourers, street vendors and domestic workers who lack formal contracts and workplace protections, and rural poor, remote populations isolated geographically from mainstream economic opportunities and healthcare infrastructure.
AMSIN’s regional orientation is East and the Horn of Africa, with community linkages identified around the Uganda–Kenya and Kenya–Tanzania corridors. These are described as engagement and referral linkages, not as AMSIN-owned clinics or comprehensive service coverage.
| LOCATION / CORRIDOR | COMMUNITY LINKAGE | INTENDED FUNCTION |
|---|---|---|
| Busia, Uganda–Kenya | Border-area community connection | Community engagement, outreach, health information, service navigation and referral awareness with local actors. |
| Malaba, Uganda–Kenya | Border-area community connection | Signposting and connection to appropriate health or protection services. |
| Namanga, Kenya–Tanzania | Cross-border community connection | Referral awareness and community engagement with mobile populations. |
AMSIN reports three community volunteers supporting the initiative at border locations. Their proposed function is community liaison: sharing approved information, helping people navigate services and facilitating referrals through established channels. They are not described as clinicians or authorised border-health officers unless separately trained and appointed.
Illustrative pathway: community member or mobile population → community volunteer / local partner → relevant health facility or protection service → referral follow-up, subject to consent, confidentiality and partner procedures.