Greetings AHA supporters,
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.
Just $23 can fund one surgery, and $50 funds surgery and associated costs, like post-operative care and round trip patient transport.
Will you add your name to the list of our #GivingTuesday supporters today?
HAPPENING NOW: Goiter Camp at Mitundu!
This week we are BUSY with camp at Mitundu Community Hospital, the same facility with which we partnered in September 2023. We are thrilled to be back at Mitundu to continue training their core team of providers and provide excellent care to patients.
This week, we are focusing on goiters, a more complex surgical procedure you can learn more about below. To perform goiters at the rural Mitundu, AHA pays for labs for patients to ensure they qualify for this specific procedure, then we partner with Dr. Nelson from Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe. Dr. Nelson has the experience and expertise to complete this challenging procedure in difficult circumstances.
To maximize resources, Dr. Nelson and the core Mitundu team complete minor procedure between goiter patients.
We need YOU to make our camp a success! Please click here to donate any amount.
Goals for this week:
Five goiter patients
One thyroidectomy
Ten minor procedures
Follow-up with patients from September 2023 surgical camp
Repair sterilizer machine
Train Mitundu’s maintenance man Steve on gentle operation and regular maintenance of recently-repaired sterilizer machine
Patients line up to be screened prior to their procedures.
PROCEDURE SPOTLIGHT: Goiters
A goiter is the abnormal growth of the thyroid gland, located in the neck. It's most frequently caused by lack of iodine in the diet and women over 40 years of age are most at risk for developing a goiter.
Small goiters may not affect thyroid function and may not require treatment. Larger goiters, however, may begin to obstruct the airway, making breathing and swallowing difficult. Larger goiters may also begin to change thyroid function.
In Malawi, where routine medical check ups are not often completed, small goiters are missed all too often. It's only when the goiter begins to show on a person's neck that it becomes obvious that something is wrong. Patients often have years of worry about this growth before they are able to find help for their condition.
This is why Liznet, a former AHA goiter patient, is so passionate about educating patients about goiters and helping them get the services they need to treat it. With Liznet’s help recruiting patients, coordinating care, and providing guidance, AHA provides roundtrip transportation, labs, surgery, overnight expenses, and more for patients with larger goiters.
AHA Program manager Angela (left) posed with previous goiter patient and current patient advocate Linnet (center in yellow shirt) and current three goiter patents before accompanying them to have labs done prior to their procedures. It’s vital that we have up-to-date labs on goiter patients prior to operating and AHA is proud to cover the cost of labs and roundtrip transportation to ensure we have all the information we need prior to surgery.
HISTORY MADE: Mitundu’s First Ever Thyroidectomy
On Monday, November 27th, the Access Health Africa Team, core Mitundu team, and visiting Kabudula team completed the first ever thyroidectomy at Mitundu! A thyroidectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the thyroid gland, which is located in the front of the neck.
Thanks to investments in equipment, years of training for local staff, and the very skilled Dr. Nelson visiting from Kamuzu Central Hospital, the patient was a resounding success!
Two longtime friends and partners from Kabudula, anestestist Patrick and Clinician Mphatso, joined us at Mitundu to participate in skills exchange for the thyroidectomy and other procedures.
The core Mitundu team, visitors from Kabudula, and visiting Dr. Nelson complete the first ever thyroidectomy at Mitundu!
PATIENT SPOTLIGHT: Moses
We were thrilled to be visited by a previous keloid patient, Moses, at this week’s goiter camp. Moses is a very happy client who had two very large keloids surgically excised from both ears in September 2023.
As instructed by AHA and the local team, Moses follows up regularly for injections to prevent the keloids from recurring, and he looks forward to completing his final injections next month.
So far, Moses’s scars look great and there are no signs of immediate recurrence!
support one keloid patient with a tax-deductible donation of $23!
LOOKING AHEAD: Hernia Repairs in January 2024
We are very excited to already be planning our first surgical camp for 2024 when in January, when a very talented FRCSC General Surgeon & Critical Care Medicine Specialist will join us in Malawi for a week of hernias, lipomas, & more in partnership with Kabudula Community Hospital.
THANK YOU!
Thank you to the patients, visiting healthcare providers, partners at Mitundu and Kabudula, 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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