Thank you for being an important supporter of Access Health Africa and our work to improve access to healthcare in Malawi!
We have had a wonderfully busy three months with our Annual Fundraiser in North Carolina, providing some major improvements to our partner facilities, and conducting a five day surgical camp that provided 195 procedures to 179 patients!!
None of this would have been possible without your generosity. Thank you to everyone who sent items from our Amazon Wish List, volunteered with us, attended our fundraiser, and sent financial donations!
Zikomo!
Celebrating our July Surgical Camp!
Operation Medical volunteers, AHA staff, and Kabudula Community Hospital staff, July 2026
We had an incredible week in July at our surgical camp in partnership with Operation Medical and Kabudula Community Hospital!
Over the course of the five-day camp, our team completed 195 procedures for 179 patients!
Every single one of these procedures represents a person who will walk more comfortably, work more efficiently, and be better able to live the life they want for themselves. Many of our patients expressed gratitude for the opportunity to access free surgical care.
A camp like this is about far more than the surgeries performed. It’s about building lasting capacity in our local counterparts. Fourteen staff members from Kabudula participated directly in the camp, working side-by-side with our visiting medical professionals and receiving hands-on training.
And we know the model works: after our volunteer team departed on Friday, Kabudula’s team decided they weren’t done. They took it upon themselves to perform nine major surgeries (eight hernia repairs and one removal of a large lipoma from the leg) and five minor procedures (removal of smaller lipomas) entirely on their own.
This is exactly the kind of sustainable, locally led care that AHA strives to support. We couldn’t be prouder of our colleagues for stepping up with incredible skill, competency, and confidence.
To our friends and colleagues at Kabudula Community Hospital: thank you for your hard work, dedication, and partnership. To the Operation Medical volunteers who traveled to Malawi: thank you for your time and efforts.
This success belongs to all of us. Congratulations!
Key Priorities
Surgical camps are only possible thanks to your generous support! But the needs don’t stop when camp ends.
As we look to the future, we’re focused on three key priorities:
1. Infrastructure Investment: Keeping the Power On
Power outages are common in Malawi, and we had several during our July camp. Kabudula Community Hospital has a large generator that had not been working. When the power went out at previous camps, the choice was to either pause all surgery until the power came back on or use a much smaller generator that was incredibly loud and needed to be placed right next to our patients and team members. The small generator powered the surgical machines but wasn’t big enough to run the autoclave that sterilizes equipment between surgeries. Neither option was good.
Just before camp, AHA partnered with the District Health Office to purchase cable and a new battery to get the main generator working again! That meant we could keep operating through every outage, and the repair was essential to the success of our July camp. This is just one example of how your donations support the ongoing infrastructure repairs and maintenance that are necessary to keep pace with the level of care our Malawian partners are ready to deliver.
Main generator at Kabudula
2. Continued Skill Building: Training for the Future
When they kept operating after our official camp ended, Kabudula’s team showed just how much they are capable of. AHA is deeply committed to growing local capacity through workshops, mentorship, partnership, and practice. We are creating trainings to build specific skills such as sterile technique, efficient cutting, and suturing. With your support, we will keep investing in our partners’ growth so they can continue to provide quality surgical care to their patients.
3. Medical Volunteers: Join Us in Malawi!
Surgeons, anesthetists, nurses, techs, support staff, and non-medical volunteers are always needed for upcoming camps. If you or someone you know has skills to share, we’d love to talk with you about volunteer opportunities! Want to know more? Complete this interest form and someone will reach out.
Upcoming Camp Dates:
October 2026: Maternal and Infant Camp at Kabudula
February - March 2027: Maternal and Infant Camp at Kabudula
May 2027: Surgical Camp at Mitundu
July 2027: Surgical Camp with Operation Medical at Kabudula
September 2027: Surgical Camp at Mitundu
October 2027: Maternal and Infant Camp at Kabudula
Click Here for Information on Becoming an AHA Volunteer
Patient Story
Frank and Boniface are an inspiring duo! They are a grandpa and grandson who came to Kabudula together for minor surgery in July.
Like many families in Malawi, Frank and Boniface share a home. A few years ago, Frank developed a lipoma on his back that slowed his ability to farm, which is how he feeds his family. Boniface developed a fibroma on his lower back, which made it challenging for him to complete household chores and sometimes kept him home from school when the pain was too much.
They tried multiple times to find a permanent solution to their issues. Through it all, they never gave up hope.
In their own words, “The AHA team appeared as superheroes, offering surgeries for free, so we can both return home without the painful conditions that limited us in the past.”
To Frank and Boniface: we are so glad you heard about AHA’s Surgical Camp and that you came together to receive care!
DONATION REQUESTS
Do you work for a company that donates used or excess medical or office supplies?
If so, please reach out to Info@AccessHealthAfrica.org to discuss in-kind donations!
There are so many ways to support AHA’s work in Malawi!
Attend our annual fundraiser in North Carolina
Forward this email to like-minded friends who should know more about AHA’s work
THANK YOU!
Thank you to the patients, visiting healthcare providers, partners, donors, supporters, and advocates who make our work possible! We are so thankful and could not do this without your support!
Zikomo (Thank you) for your support!
This work & impact isn’t possible without your investment.
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www.accesshealthafrica.org | info@accesshealthafrica.org