This year, Access Health Africa (AHA) is participating in #GivingTuesday - a global day of giving that takes place on November 28th. As a small organization relying on the generosity of individual donors, this fundraiser is critically important to helping reach AHA’s 2024 goals.
Read moreUnder the Baobab
Greetings, friends, volunteers, and supporters!
We write to you from Malawi, where we just wrapped up seven very successful days of surgery at Mitundu Community Hospital… and we have two more days to go! But we need YOU! After treating 155 patients while our international team was on the ground last week, we decided to extend our surgical camp so that the local team at Mitundu can treat 100+ patients from our waiting list!
Read on for an update - thank you for being a supporter!
Read moreHow I Became a Nurse -Christina Mtonga
When I was less than 10 years old, I decided I wanted to become a nurse because the nurses had nice houses with electricity and good locations. I was raised by her father and stepmother since my parents separated long before I remember. I experienced many hardships because my stepmother did not care for me. On school holidays, I had to walk on foot all the way home and often went without basic things like sugar and soap. Despite the hardships, I always took position #1 in my class. I overcame the hardships and became a nurse. Now I am proud to provide surgical care to patients in partnership with AHA.
Read morePatient Spotlight: Wiseman
Wiseman, age 11, suffered from a hydrocele for many months which caused him a lot of pain and absenteeism from school. He visited his nearest health center twice, and then Bwaila Hospital in Lilongwe, but the condition was not resolved…
Read morePatient Spotlight: Kelvin
Kelvin is a 53-year-old farmer who lives in a very remote area, but he is proud of his livestock collection which currently includes 11 goats, 12 ducks, 35 chickens, and 56 doves.
Read morePatient Spotlight: Judith
Judith is a farmer at Ndaula who lives in a mud-brick house with a grass roof. She owns a bicycle and one chicken. Her home is 40 minutes from the nearest health center and also 40 minutes from the nearest source of electricity, which is a barber shop near her community. She collects water from a nearby borehole for use at home. Ndaula is located near Dzalanyama Forest Reserve on the Mozambique border with Malawi, which is a long distance on difficult roads from any of the referral centers.
Read moreAccess to Surgery for Lilongwe’s Rural Communities
When AHA first began doing surgery in the village of Kabudula (Kab) in 2014, international visitors completed most of the procedures, and only very minor procedures could be done when we weren’t there. The road from Lilongwe to Kab was dirt, and only one clinician had experience in minor surgeries and could independently complete minor procedures. Yet there were hundreds of patients with untreated surgical conditions around Kab trading center alone, and services had not yet been extended to the surrounding rural health centers.
Read moreDay 1: Lines & Power Outages
The first day of any surgical camp is always a bit hectic. Patients traveling in and learning where to go, supplies being delivered and organized, walk in patients looking for treatment, and more. Throw in a power outage and you’re sure to be on your toes all day. Scroll through today’s pictures to get a sense of all that was accomplished today.
Read morePreparing for Camp
In the past, AHA has paid to refill the oxygen cylinder, but we are so proud to have partnered with the District Health Office (DHO) so that they refilled the tank for this camp. This demonstrates a belief and support in our work that we truly appreciate.
Read moreThe Frequent Challenges of Hosting a Surgical Camp
Global Health Fellow Angela published a recent blog discussing the many, many aspects of planning a surgical camp. As anyone who has traveled, planned a large event, or works in the medical field can imagine, rural surgical camps rarely go exactly to plan. That’s why we’re so thankful to have Angela and our partners from Kab and KCH who are committed to patient care and flexible in the face of obstacles.
Read more