HEALTH & WELL-BEING
Our health and well-being workstream promotes healthy living and well-being for all – providing lifesaving support in Malawi and valuable development opportunities for pupils in both countries.
We sponsor the care of abandoned children at Open Arms for as long as it is needed before they can rejoin their villages. We also provide funding for essential equipment for Achikondi Clinic and we distribute underwear for women and children. For more information, scroll down.
Healthcare in Malawi
Healthcare provision in Malawi is about as bad as it can be, according to the World Health Organisation.
Malawi faces high rates of child and adulthood mortality and a high prevalence of diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, HIV/AIDS and other tropical diseases. There is also a growing burden of noncommunicable diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, schistosomiasis and leprosy. Additionally, the country has one of the highest population densities in sub Saharan Africa.
Allied to very high poverty rates and illiteracy levels, there is a critical shortage of manpower, training, funding, equipment and political commitment to improving healthcare.
Impact on Covid-19 on Achikondi Clinic
Charity Salima discusses the desperate impact Covid-19 is having on her clinic and how essential supplies, funded by friends of WMP, can make such a difference.
Supporting vulnerable children
We work with Open Arms to support their work in foster homes and feeding stations in Blantyre and Mangochi. As well as providing medical supplies and funding critical solar-powered machinery, we sponsor four children at any one time to keep them under Open Arms' care and protection.
Calling all knitting bees!
Newborn and premature babies at Bwailla hospital need protection against the cold, even in Malawi. If you fancy knitting some booties, hat and jumpers, take a look at some patterns for inspiration.
Reducing illness with mobile screening
WMP funds life-saving equipment to prevent cervical cancer in women in rural Malawi. In 2019, we handed over a mobile thermal ablation device to Achikondi clinic. It will be used to treat women with cervical abnormalities immediately on detection in a bid to reduce deaths from cervical cancer, currently averaging 1600 every year in Malawi. This life-saving equipment, funded by WMP, was in response to an initiative introduced by Professor Heather Cubie. Read more here.
Providing smalls for all
Our community donates pants, bras and many hours of sorting to help women and children dress more comfortably.
Standing tall
We are proud to support local charity, 500 Miles, and their campaign to build a new prosthetics clinic in Mzuzu.