About the Global Initiative for Health and Wellness

The Global Initiative for Health and Wellness (GIHW) are our global clinics that operate in other Lions Clubs all over the world. We supply them with everything they need to run a clinic free of charge. Each year we screen over 2 million people worldwide for Diabetes, Heart Disease, Measles, Vision, Flu and more. 

A National and International Initiative

The Global Initiative for Health and Wellness was first endorsed by Arizona Lions, Multiple 21, in January, 2015, Council Chair Rand Terwilleger, District Governors Larry Palmer and Bob Jones . Since that time many multiple Districts and Clubs have endorsed this project and we are now bringing Health and Wellness free Clinics to 20,000 Lions clubs in the world. In San Mateo California as in many countries we also have free established clinics that operate several days a week with Medical Doctors, Eye Doctors and Dentists in attendance. 

Why the GIHW Was Created

The Global Initiative for Health and Wellness (GIHW) was created to help all people to identify and improve their current health status. The GIHW targets populations who live at or below the poverty line and includes those who are not insured or under insured.

We are here to:

• Serve the Poor and Under Represented

• Create Health Awareness

• Educate Our Communities on Lifestyle Choices

• Make Referrals to Free Clinics and Doctors for Health Issues Detected at our Clinics

• Save Lives

Why do we need to know the reasons people die?

• Measuring how many people die each year and why they died is one of the most important means, along with gauging how diseases and injuries are affecting people, for assessing the effectiveness of a country’s health system.

• Cause-of-death statistics help health authorities determine the focus of their public health actions. A country in which deaths from heart disease and diabetes rise rapidly over a period of a few years, for example, has a strong interest in starting a vigorous programme to encourage lifestyles to help prevent these illnesses. Similarly, if a country recognizes that many children are dying of pneumonia, but only a small portion of the budget is dedicated to providing effective treatment, it can increase spending in this area.

• High-income countries have systems in place for collecting information on causes of death. Many low-and middle-income countries do not have such systems, and the numbers of deaths from specific causes have to be estimated from incomplete data. Improvements in producing high quality cause-of-death data are crucial for improving health and reducing preventable deaths in these countries.

Clinic in Mexico

Our clinic in Uriangato, Mexico has helped over 1,000 people with their vision.

Through our partnership with the Global Health Initiative many also received health screenings.

Endorsement by Multiple District 4 - California Lions

During the November 2021 Council of Governors' meeting, five District Governors put a motion to endorse the Global Initiative of Health and Wellness as an endorsed project of Multiple District 4, California Lions, which was adopted unanimously.