WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER – OR ARE WE?
End of Financial Year Appeal
For 18 months now the world has struggled with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have been lucky in Australia, as an island nation, we have been protected from many of the collateral issues. Sadly, the women and families in the remote regions of Ethiopia, Tanzania, South Sudan and Uganda, where we fund and/or support maternal health and fistula repair programmes, have not been so blessed.
We are expecting a spike in fistula injuries as women have been unable to travel to hospitals for a safe birth – or believe they will contract COVID if they attend a hospital.
When Andrew was in Africa in April he did 68 fistula operations in three weeks; in the new hospital in South Sudan, 35 women were seen and a waiting list grows for Andrew’s return trip with more than 70 patients already expected.
In Valerie’s region we have witnessed the immeasurable suffering caused by natural disasters and civil unrest on top of COVID. With many thousands of people displaced and famine raging through the community, the work for Valerie and her team to reach women to provide assisted birth, or fistula repair has become a herculean task.
But the work has continued – delivered by the tireless in-country teams, health workers, midwives and young doctors, many who have been trained in the programmes we fund.
Across the hospitals and outreach programmes continued and over the last quarter:
- 9,613 women were seen in our hospitals and rural networks
- 2,984 safe births were conducted
- 82 fistula operations were completed in our hospitals but many hundreds more were completed in centres across the region supported by Andrew and his work with the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) as a leader, trainer and mentor
- 7,587 outpatients visits were completed
- 779 family planning programmes were delivered
- 56 midwives had ongoing training in clinical skills
- Three young doctors continued their specialist training and one, Dr Mbise, trained through BMF-funding, has commenced work at Kivulini Hospital
Without your help none of this would have been possible. As the 2021/2022 financial year comes to a close we ask that you give generously so we can continue to fund these lifesaving services that provide dignity and hope for so many women who otherwise would have nowhere to turn. Click here to donate securely.
Save the Mother – Save the World. Thank-you.