World University Service of Canada (WUSC) has donated another bicycle ambulance to one of WOFAD’s project communities. The community has shown exemplary efforts and commitment to the promotion and protection of the SRHR of women and girls living with HIV and AIDS through the We Have Rights Too! Project. WOFAD was proud to be able to make this donation in the name of WUSC as this bicycle ambulance will give the community more mobility and access to better health care facilities. While this donation was received with open arms and many smiling faces, many other communities are in dying need of support in accessing adequate health care facilities.
As reported in one of our previous posts, many Malawians die of preventable diseases each year. Diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, and cholera are widely spread in Malawi, however, preventable and treatable. In addition, HIV/AIDS is a major challenge in the country and claims millions of lives every year due to lack of testing, medication, and proper monitoring of CD4 counts. The challenge of transportation has largely contributed to the high mortality rates. Transportation to and from rural communities is scarce and challenging. Road conditions are often so bad that vehicles are unable to reach the communities. There is a lack of public transport, and traveling times by foot are long and often dangerous. This has prevented many people from seeking treatment in the early stages of their illness. By the time treatment is sought it is often too late. Another huge challenge voiced by community members is the challenge of transporting pregnant women to hospitals, especially HIV positive mothers who require extensive monitoring throughout their pregnancy in order to ensure the health of their newborn babies. As a result of lack of transportation, many women choose or are forced to give birth at home with the help of traditional birth attendants instead of being admitted to hospitals. According to World Bank data from 2013, 510 maternal deaths occur in every 100,000 live births, while infant mortality rates are as high as 46 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Thank you to WUSC for getting this community one step closer to better health!!
Thank you to WUSC for getting this community one step closer to better health!!