Save the Mother, Save the World™
Around the world, approximately 800 women die every day from birth-related injuries. More than half of these are in sub-Saharan Africa. The Barbara May Foundation funds projects that provide dignity and safety for underprivileged women in birth.
Providing lifesaving maternal healthcare
in regional and remote Africa
Established in 2009, the Barbara May Foundation (BMF) provides funding to Australian medical professionals Valerie Browning AM and Dr Andrew Browning AM. They run projects in regional and remote Africa (Tanzania, Ethiopia and South Sudan) that relieve the high incidence of death and extreme injury in pregnancy and childbirth. They provide safety, dignity and hope. Maternal healthcare and medical services are provided at no cost, regardless of race or religion.
Projects supported in Africa
Barbara May Maternity Hospital, Ethiopia
Valerie Browning AM
Vision Maternity Care Hospital, Ethiopia
Dr Birhanu Menber
Reconciliation Hospital, South Sudan
Dr Andrew Browning
Kivulini Hospital Maternity Africa (MA), Tanzania
Dr Andrew Browning
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The Foundation is excited to announce that Pan Macmillan will publish Dr Andrew Browning's memoir ‘A Doctor in Africa’ on April 27.
With the preface by HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, and foreword by Her Excellency, Linda Hurley, Andrew's book is an inspiring story of his selfless life, from the obstacles he has overcome working in remote, harsh and vastly under-resourced regions, to the compelling stories of the women whose lives he has transformed forever through fistula surgery and access to free maternal healthcare.
Please follow the link in our bio to pre-order. All royalties go to the Barbara May Foundation.
The book is out on 27 April, but you can pre-order it by following the link in our bio.
#drandrewbrowning #adoctorinafrica #obstetrician #gynaecologist #fistula
#maternalhealthcare #africa
Our operating theatre nurses Tom and Eliza have worked with Dr Andrew for many years both at Selian Hospital and now at Kivulini in Arusha, Tanzania.
Their expertise and professionalism have ensured the theatres run efficiently and safely for the fistula patients and the thousands of women who come to deliver each year.
Due to recent changes in the Tanzanian health system they now need to increase their qualifications which will cost $1500 each.
Can you help us by sponsoring their further education?
If you are able to contribute, please do so via www.barbaramayfoundation.org
The BMF-Funded hospital in Barhir Dar, Ethiopia, is achieving wonderful outcomes for the underprivileged women of the region with just over 2,600 safe births recorded last year with no maternal deaths or fistula injuries. We are deeply grateful to everyone who supports this work but none of it could be achieved without the staple of life - fresh, running water.
So we would like to extend a huge thank-you to Alemayehu Wassie, CEO of local NGO ORDA
which recently sunk a bore for the hospital ensuring ongoing water security. This type of non-medical allied support truly underpins VMC’s ability to operate successfully.
News just back from Kivulini Maternity Hospital in Tanzania is that nearly all of the 67 women who were suffering with fistula injuries and operated on by Dr Andrew recently are completely cured and have now returned home.
They are delighted and couldn't wait to be reunited with their families. Sadly eight ladies still have some issues, but there is still hope and Andrew and his team is scheduling them for the next fistula camp.
The fistula surgeries for these wonderful and brave women at Kivulini are provided free-of-charge including any follow-up services they may require.
#savethemothersavetheworld www.barbaramayfoundation.com
Dr Andrew Browning has recently been in Tanzania where he operated on 67 women suffering from obstetric fistula injuries – many caused by the fact they could not travel to hospitals for a safe birth due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Every morning the staff and patients (the one’s with the buckets) at Kivulini Maternity Hospital give thanks to God and express joy for their treatment and cure.
How wonderful is their happiness!
#freematernalcare
#savethemothersavetheworld
www.barbaramayfoundation.com
Sydney University has published this story about our Dr Andrew.
Most Australians have never heard of obstetric fistula.
Yet in other places, it is a source of terrible suffering and shame for many thousands of women every year.
2020 Alumni Award winner Dr Andrew Browning AM (MBBS '95) is helping those women reclaim their lives.
To read more follow the link in our bio.
Ethiopia has a different calendar system and there New Year is on September 11th. It's the biggest festival of the year and the staff of VMC take some time off to celebrate it together in the grounds of our hospital.
We are thankful for all their hard work in saving the lives of so many women and babies- a well deserved break
When supporters Pat and Jenny Kennedy go for their morning walk each day, they don their gloves and carry a bag to collect recyclable bottles and cans.
At the end of the month they cash them in and donate the money to the Barbara May Foundation. Each year the Kennedy’s raise enough money from recycling to provide 50 delivery kits for local birth attendants or at least one life-saving caesarean section for a woman with obstructed labour.
The winners? Underprivileged African women and a cleaner environment. Thanks Pat and Jenny! Anyone else got novel ideas on how to raise more money during these challenging COVID times?
Dr Andrew Browning AM shares his thoughts about the women he and Valerie Browning AM care for in remote and regional Africa. #dignityandsafetyinbirth #maternalhealth #obstetricfistula #africa
It had been suggested to Dr Andrew that he write a book about his time in Africa looking after women with fistulas and the maternal health of so many others.
We can announce today that after nine months of hard work Dr Andrew has finished! In wonderful news, Publishers Pan Macmillan have snapped up the rights to this charming, thoughtful and highly emotional book.
The book, with the tentative title of Into Africa, is expected to be published around May 2021.
We will keep you updated. #africa #maternalhealthcare #obstetricfistula
Valerie Browning has shared these distressing images with us highlighting the extreme food insecurity being experienced in the region where she works exacerbated by COVID-19 restrictions on the movement of freight and the recent drought and locust plagues.
Her Rural Maternity teams had just completed a malnutrition survey and put a total of seven children into hospital for naso-gastric feeding and antibiotics and there are more being carried out from remote areas to where a vehicle can reach them.
Valerie said, “These photos are horrifically shocking for me. I have sent them to the Bureau of Health, WFP and UNICEF and am arranging to meet all of same. Famix (supplementary food), paid for with the funds you have sent, is being moved to this area.”
The Barbara May Foundation is providing additional funding to Valerie and her teams to provide food and care packages to support 2,000 pregnant women and those supporting babies and young children in her immediate region. If you can help by donating, please go to www.barbaramayfoundation.com
Dr Andrew Browning talks with NBNNews about the collateral impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic on underprivileged women approaching childbirth in regional and remote Africa. LINK IN BIO
To all the beautiful, wonderful, loving mums in the world. From the team at the Barbara May Foundation, enjoy your special day today.
On International Midwives Day we are proud to recognise the amazing midwives (past and present) who work in Valerie's and Andrew's hospitals in Ethiopia and Tanzania. We also proudly acknowledge the village birth attendants who help so many women from tribal and remote regions in the Afar region of Ethiopia. Further we'd like to shout out to all our lovely ex-pat midwives who travel to Africa to bring support and assist with the training programs in our midwife schools. We believe that if we save the mother, we save the world. Simply, if not for our midwives, we could not achieve what we do.Today and everyday, we acknowledge their dedication, unique skills, professional care and endless patience. They care for our beautiful patients with respect and dignity and today we thank them from the bottom of our hearts. #internationalmidwivesday
We would like to introduce you to a new initiative for the Foundation - March To Safe Birth: The Power of Two. During the month of March we are asking you to take part in ANY activity of your choice (have some fun with this!) and gain support from your friends and family with the aim of raising $200 - the cost of a safe birth in remote and regional Africa. You can raise more or less, do it on your own or create a team with your friends! Join us now to give underprivileged women in Africa dignity and safety in birth! Link in bio!! 🧡🧡