By Andrea Hargraves 
– In these two years, the seven trailers, one box truck and two project buses have covered 55,000 km through 17 states of Brazil
– In partnership with Brazilian entities and companies and financial support from the German government, the initiative promotes the principles of ESG at Mercedes-Benz do Brasil
Launched in March 2021, the #UnindoForças project – an initiative by Mercedes-Benz do Brasil in partnership with Brazilian NGOs, entities and companies and with financial support from the German government – is reaching its second year with very telling results, thus reaching the proposed goals. There are seven Mercedes-Benz Actros trailers, a box truck and two buses designated as Mobile Health Units to deliver medical and health care, social assistance and vaccines to communities in need in remote locations, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations in different regions of the country. Country Brazil.
Based on the results accumulated up to the last month of February, more than 770,000 medical procedures have already been performed (595,000 in trolleys and 175,000 in buses), involving more than 374,000 patients treated (about 279,000 in trolleys and 95,000 in buses). More than 106,000 Covid-19 vaccines have also been administered. To date, the project has reached 90 cities in 17 states, including the Federal District. In total, trailers, box trucks and buses have already covered 55,000 km.
“The Mobile Health Units project is a great partnership with NGOs specializing in medical care, which makes us very proud. Both the trucks and buses used as mobile health units enhance the diversity of our company’s community business,” says Katherine Pfeffer, CFO of Mercedes-Benz Latin America and project sponsor . “This is an important contribution for the country, which benefits society and shows our commitment to sustainability in the social dimension. We expect to reach 1 million 200 thousand medical consultations and more than 600 thousand people within three years. We believe that uniting efforts is the most effective way to promote social development and we are very pleased with the steps we are taking in this direction through this work.
The Mobile Health Units is one of the projects that fall under the social responsibility pillar of the ESG principles practiced by Mercedes-Benz do Brasil, which remains firm in its goal of moving the world, enhancing its contribution to the development of the community in which it lives. He works.
Company employee initiative
#UnindoForças is a successful case at Mercedes-Benz and the result of an initiative by employees involved in a cross-functional group focused on disruptive innovation and new business for the company itself.
This group generates the most diverse solutions related to transportation, mobility, people and society, with the aim of solving or reducing some of the daily demands. “The aim is to encourage and foster an entrepreneurial spirit, foster a culture of innovation and bring new ideas to the streets and roads, always focusing on quality of life, social responsibility and a responsible transportation system,” concludes Kathryn Pfeffer.
Seven trailers, a box truck and two buses are on the way
With the aim of accelerating immunization against Covid-19, two Mercedes-Benz buses, one urban and one road, in partnership with the Brazilian Red Cross, departed for different routes in different Brazilian regions. The CVB campaign contributes to the Ministry of Health’s national immunization plan, in addition to involving other initiatives for prevention, health promotion and the response to the Covid pandemic.
In terms of vans, there are two mobile units with the social start-up SAS Brasil, which provides services in the fields of dentistry, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, gastroenterology, dermatology and gynecology, as well as minor surgeries. SAS Brasil crosses Brazil from south to north and offers specialized counseling, examinations and procedures for children and adults, as well as training for health professionals. With this measure, SUS waiting lists for offered medical specialties are expected to be eliminated.
With Renovatio, in the Southern District, the focus is on ophthalmology, with clinical and diagnostic examinations for cataracts, glaucoma and retina. Ophthalmology is also the specialty of the Luz Para Vida Institute, which provides consultations, procedures and examinations for the evaluation of drooping, cataracts, diseases of the retina and cornea, glaucoma, treatment of tear ducts and ocular plastic surgery.
In the city of São Paulo, in addition to the first tomography truck from the MB Health project, the partnership with CIES Global includes two more trucks. One for ultrasound and Doppler examination and another mobile unit for minor ophthalmic and cataract surgeries.
The Albert Einstein Charity provides assistance in the areas of tomography, ophthalmology, telemedicine and laboratory tests. They are performed by doctors, nurses, nursing technicians, and Einstein Lab analysts. This partnership started in Itabira (MG) and then moved to the Mercedes-Benz plant in São Bernardo do Campo (SP), in order to serve truck drivers who deliver or pick up goods in the company. This bandwagon has been moving in many cities, in procedures for truck and bus drivers on the roads and also for local patients who need CT scans without the use of contrast, according to the SUS waiting list.
The Ninth Mobile Health Unit has been assigned to the Amigos do Beem Foundation. Nearly 30 years of experience and thousands of volunteers are transforming lives through education, work and income projects, access to health, water and housing, promoting social inclusion and breaking the cycle of misery in remote Northeast areas.
A contribution of €4.5 million from the German government via DEG
The big financial impetus for the #UnindoForças project came from the German government, which contributed €4.5 million for the construction of the mobile health and vaccination units and the acquisition of medical equipment. This participation was made possible by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The investment was made by DEG, a subsidiary of KfW Bankengruppe, one of the world’s leading and most experienced development banks. Among its many global actions, it allocates resources for programs in emerging and developing countries with a focus on social, environmental, and economic issues.
The German-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK São Paulo) provided important support in reaching out to the German government. This traditional institution formally represents the German economy in Brazil, serving as a base for strengthening and diversifying its members’ businesses, attracting investment to Brazil, and expanding bilateral trade and cooperation between countries.
In addition to project optimization and management, Mercedes-Benz do Brasil contributes the supply of branded trucks and buses to transport mobile health and vaccination units, as well as drivers and internal resources for project management. The company’s total working hours are around 1 million euros.
The #UnindoForças project has more partners, such as Vivo Empresas, as sponsors. The trailers were designed and customized by Fleximedical, with the building bodies responsible for the port. Canon Medical provides the latest technology for diagnostic imaging and worked on the project in a mobile CT unit.
Eco X was responsible for converting the buses into mobile vaccination units. Elber Medical supplied the vaccine storage rooms and Sunew provided the solar panels that provide power for the vaccine refrigerators.
About Mercedes-Benz Brazil
Mercedes-Benz do Brasil has been present in the country for nearly 67 years and is one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of trucks and bus bodies in Latin America. It is also one of the leaders in the development of freight and passenger transportation technologies. The company has production units for trucks, bus chassis and aggregates in São Bernardo do Campo (SP) and truck cabins in Juiz de Fora (MG), as well as a spare parts unit, customer service, spare parts logistics and global training in Campinas (SP). ). In 2018, the company opened the first line of trucks with Concept 4.0 in the country and launched the Proving Ground, the largest in the southern hemisphere for commercial vehicles. In 2019, in the second phase of Industry 4.0, the company began operations with a new line of cabs and launched the Actros, the country’s smartest, most connected, efficient and safest truck. In 2020, it is the turn of opening 4.0 bus chassis factory. In 2021, the first Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle is presented in Brazil, the eO500U urban bus chassis, as well as other launches, such as the extra heavy Arocs, a truck dedicated to mining and heavy urban construction.