Airbnb.org launches its Medical Stays program in Brazil

Airbnb.org announces the arrival of its Medical Stays program in Brazil, in partnership with Instituto Beaba, ChildFund, and INCAvoluntário. The program provides free stays on Airbnb to families and individuals who need to travel to another city to receive medical treatment, alleviating the financial and emotional stress of traveling for healthcare. The initiative is led by Airbnb.org, a nonprofit organization founded by Airbnb to provide free, temporary housing during times of crisis.

Traveling for complex medical treatments is a growing reality in Brazil. A study published in 2024 by the Institute for Health Policy Studies (IEPS) found that between 2010 and 2023, the proportion of people hospitalized outside their healthcare region more than tripled, driven primarily by the need for highly complex procedures. For families in these moments, worrying about where to stay and travel costs compounds the existing emotional burden. The Medical Stays program seeks to remove this barrier, allowing patients and their caregivers to focus exclusively on recovery.

Through the program, partner organizations identify families in need of support and, through Airbnb.org,  facilitate the booking of stays for the families near healthcare facilities, allowing them to choose a space that meets their needs, with comforts of home such as kitchens, laundry, and welcoming spaces to accommodate the entire family during their treatment.

“Often, comfort during a difficult time comes from things that seem small, but have a significant impact on the quality of life of patients and those supporting them through their treatment journey: preparing a family recipe after a long day, or being able to rely on a larger support network in a more spacious home, are privileges that Airbnb.org can offer through this initiative. They have great potential to ease the daily routines of children and young people undergoing treatments like cancer, as well as their families,” highlights Simone Lehwess Mozzilli, President and Founder of Instituto Beaba.

“Going through medical treatment is already a difficult process for patients and their families. When care requires traveling to another city, worrying about where to stay and costs adds an extra burden to an already delicate moment. Bringing our Medical Stays program to Brazil, in partnership with leading local organizations, aims to alleviate exactly this challenge by offering welcoming spaces where families can stay together with comfort and peace of mind. Through the program, since Airbnb.org fully covers the cost of stays, families pay nothing for accommodation, and hosts are paid for their stays. This joint effort helps remove a crucial barrier to the success of their treatment,” says Christoph Gorder, Executive Director of Airbnb.org.

Get to know the organizations

The partner organizations operate throughout Brazil and serve thousands of patients, providing support, information, and proper care:

• Instituto Beaba: Founded in 2013, Instituto Beaba demystifies cancer and other illnesses for children and adolescents undergoing treatment, providing clear, objective, and optimistic information to patients, families, and healthcare professionals. Through educational materials, apps, and campaigns, the institute empowers those facing treatment and contributes to engagement and quality of life throughout this journey.
• INCAvoluntário: Since 2003, the social action department of the National Cancer Institute (INCA) has worked to support cancer patients and their families throughout the entire treatment journey. With support from the Cancer Foundation (Fundação do Câncer), it mobilizes volunteers, partners, and donors to enable programs and initiatives that promote humanization, well-being, and social support. Through donations of resources, products, and services, it helps reduce the social and financial impact of the disease, strengthening access to and continuity of treatment.
• ChildFund: With more than 85 years of global history and a presence in over 70 countries, ChildFund is part of one of the largest global networks for child protection. Active in Brazil since 1966, with headquarters in Belo Horizonte, and presence in 23 states, the organization develops child protection, education, community strengthening, and advocacy projects, focusing on children, adolescents and the youth in vulnerable situations.

Airbnb.org plans to expand its Medical Stays program in Brazil over the coming years, similar to the model adopted in Mexico, where the organization partnered with various institutions to broaden families’ access to free stays during highly complex medical treatments. The launch in Brazil represents another step in the program’s global expansion, which already operates in other countries by connecting families with hosts willing to welcome those who need it most.

Airbnb.org areas of action

In addition to the Medical Stays program, Airbnb.org works to provide free temporary housing in response to natural disasters and emergencies around the world. Since 2020, Airbnb.org has provided 1.6 million nights of free, temporary housing globally during times of crisis, including natural disasters such as the wildfires in Los Angeles and the earthquakes in Japan. In Brazil, during the devastating floods that hit Rio Grande do Sul in 2024, the organization worked in partnership with the State Government and local NGOs to support flood victims and volunteers responding in the region. More recently, following the earthquakes that struck cities in Venezuela, Airbnb.org is providing free emergency stays to first responders in partnership with NGOs such as Project HOPE and Wine to Water.

How to support

Anyone can support Airbnb.org through one-time or monthly donations, with 100 percent of these funds going directly to financing medical or other emergency stays.