Health Screening for 12 villages in Rural Nigeria

Since ACHI began conducting medical outreach’s in 2006, we have been able to:

 
-Increase the number of villages they reach every year.

    
-Introduce a mobile laboratory.

    
-Build a team of medical staff that can screen about 400 people in a day.

      -Introduce a maintenance program for year round treatment of those diagnosed with diabetes and   hypertension.

     This year with the support of organizations like Hope for the City who donated wheel chairs, walkers,
clutches, canes etc. ACHI was able to put smiles on the faces of those who
benefited from them. We gave wheelchair to a man that attends our program every
year, but due to arthritis he was unable to come this year on his own and we
sent someone with a wheelchair to go and bring him to the venue. He was happy
to see us and the wheelchair was left with him to assist him in moving around.
Also a woman who had stroke 15 years ago and is dependent on her husband and
children for all her activities of daily living, was given a walker which made
a huge difference in her dependency. She was able to ambulate with the walker without
support. Many were given four point canes for better support in place of sticks
they were using.

Thanks to Lions club Eyeglasses program for making it possible for many in the villages to enjoy reading their
bibles and other materials again. We also received donations of children’s
vitamins from Americare, and toothpaste and brushes from Patterson Dental this
year.              

ACHI medical team went to seven communities this year. Due to the need, the
co-sponsors of three communities requested that ACHI conduct outreach in their
community for two days. A total of about 3461 patients were screened.

There were two outstanding cases we could not turn our
backs on but to help find a solution to their problem. There was a widow with
five children whose husband died two years ago, she brought three of her
children to the center at Mbano (Umugolo village) in Imo State. During
assessment, we discovered that her 15 and 12 year old daughters have type (1) diabetes
with 450 and 290 blood sugars, and she confirmed that she is aware of the
diagnosis. Due to poverty and ignorance, she resorted to treating them with “BITTER
LEAF and UTAZI” (  native vegetables that
are very bitter).  ACHI decided to keep
them for three days, teaching about diabetes, diet, insulin therapy and blood
glucose monitoring. Their blood glucose is currently averaging at 120 and 170
respectively. The second case is a man from Umuihi in Ihitte/Uboma local
government of Imo State whose average blood glucose was 500, he was also
started on insulin, supplied with testing equipment, Insulin syringe and both
long acting and short acting insulin. He is also doing well and feeling better.
These families will continue to need our support in sustaining their treatment
and enjoy a better life. There are more people out there looking for help and
support in managing their diabetes. We have limited resources for so many
people.  

• 2012 Medical Outreach Report (DOCX)