Programme takes free medical care to remote areas of Africa

By Gerda Potgieter

A team from the Aid to Africa outreach programme of Doctors For Life International (DFL) recently visited Malawi and Mozambique to distribute mosquito nets and medical supplies.

The team arrived in Chikuluma, Malawi on November 9 and at DFL’s clinic in Zavora, Mozambique on November 15. They returned to SA on November 18, after a three weeks road trip during which they travelled about 4 000km.

The mosquito nets were donated by the Kingsley Holgate Foundation and the medicine by the World’s Children Fund from Europe.   

The next Aid to Africa outreach, this time eye surgery on the blind, is planned for early next year.

The programme’s outreaches to remote African communities aims to provide free, life-changing and life-saving support to vulnerable communities who are deprived of health care and certain services.

DFL is led by Dr Albertus van Eeden, aka Doctor Albu, one of the five members who started the organisation in 1991. He is assisted by full-time staff members and a large group of volunteers from SA and other countries. DFL has approximately 1 500 members, consisting of professionals, doctors, dentists, specialists, and veterinarians. 

Through the Aid to Africa outreaches DFL teams provide free medical examinations, do eye surgery, provide medical treatment through short-term mobile clinics, and facilitate primary health care education and training to ensure sustainability.

Achievements, so far, include:

• Ten countries have been reached.
• More than 340 000 people have been helped free of charge
• Over 4 500 people have received free glasses and can see better, and 
• A further 3 800 patients have received eye surgery in 44 surgery campaigns (mostly cataracts).
• A medical and maternity clinic was established in Zavora, Mozambique (established in 2009), where approximately 25 000 patients are now treated annually free of charge.
•  A second clinic was established in Chikuluma, Malawi in 2019) and
• 3 100 dental procedures have been carried out.

You can donate to DFL online at www.doctorsforlife.co.za. You can also read more about their work at https://online.pubhtml5.com/qulw/cmtc/#.YnP6q0otHll.

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