Stop deaths from TB on Likoma Island, Malawi

Dear Supporters of African Steps,

This is the final report on our Project "Stop deaths from TB on Likoma Island, Malawi", as the project is about to be marked "fully funded" on Global Giving and will no longer be open for donations.

I am pleased to tell you that we are building a TB unit which will be made up of 10 individual isolation rooms and the necessary bathroom and outpatient facilities. We designed the unit having taken advice from the Clinical Officers at St Peter's, Likoma Island and also two English consultants who specialize in TB treatment and are familiar with the African challenges and environment. We are in the privileged position of being able to build from scratch and to have access to the latest advice regarding the treatment of TB. Mathias Londo, the senior clinical officer commented in a recent email that this will be one of the best and most effective units in Malawi.

So thank you, once again, for the part you have played in making this possible.

Just for your information and to give you some idea of the other things which African Steps is currently doing at St Peter's, I'm including some recent photographs.

As always, thank you for your faithful support,

Kathryn Garnett

Trustee, African Steps

Links:

• www.africansteps.org.uk
• http://www.facebook.com/africansteps

Dear supporters,

I have just returned from a visit to St Peter's hospital, taking with me a team of two doctors and a nurse. The hospital was functioning with incredibly sparse resources and yet, due to the selfless devotion and courage of key staff members, people were being cared for and lives saved. There was no electricity and operations were being done by the clinical officers by the light of mobile phones (charged through the one solar powered socket installed with the help of African Steps' supporters). Drugs were in short supply, but the staff were administering them with the hope that another consignment would arrive soon. We saw resilience and strength of character in the face of extreme poverty.

As many of you know, the survival of St Peter's hospital is vital for the people of Likoma, but also for approximately 70,000 people from Mozambique and Tanzania. We were reminded of how far people would come to be treated in the hospital, when, one day we met a young boy (pictured in this report) who had walked for three days with a broken arm from Tanzania, through Mozambique and had then crossed the lake to St Peter's by boat. He had a three day walk home with his arm in plaster and was to return again to have the plaster removed a month later.

I am pleased to tell you that we are making progress with the building of the TB isolation ward and hope that it will be complete by the end of this year. We heard many staff members talk of the hope that this will bring to stop the tide of deaths from TB.

We were asked on many occasions to pass on to you the deeply felt thanks of the patients and staff in the hospital. These people really are some of the poorest and in most need of help in the world and so please be assured that your support for African Steps will make a huge difference to their lives. 

Links:

• Find African Steps on Facebook
• See African Steps' website

Dear Supporters,

Happy Christmas to you from all at African Steps.

We have been continuing our preparations for the building of the TB isolation ward and wanted to let you know that this project is progressing, albeit at the usual African pace. Our project page remains live on both the Global Giving UK and US sites, as we are raising funds to help the hospital cover the costs of running the TB Isolation ward in the future.

We hope to have more news for you in the New Year, but in the meantime, thank you once again for being part of the work which we are doing at St Peter's hospital.

With Best wishes,

Kathryn Garnett, John Gordon, Andrea Hardie and Caroline Gordon

The Trustees of African Steps

It is with grateful thanks that I write to tell you that we are now in a position to start planning the building of the TB Isolation ward at St Peter's hospital. With your help, we have raised a huge sum on GlobalGiving and African Steps has also raised funds from other sources. The building of this ward is an urgent priority and we will ensure that it is opened and running as soon as possible.

We want to thank our supporters for your financial help, but also for your compassion for the people of Likoma. The history of the Island, as far as deaths from TB is concerned, is shortly to change.

We do need to fund the running of the TB Isolation ward into the future and hope that many of you will want to continue with us on this journey.

Links:

• See more of what we do on our website