The medical history of Africa is a vital but neglected field. Disease has played an important role in human history and it has been a significant factor throughout African history, and attempt to control endemic and epidemic afflictions have been an important aspect of change in this century. Donor attention has yielded remarkable efforts to fight health challenges but most of the region lacks the infrastructure to deliver health care and faces a severe shortage of trained medical personnel. As Africa’s economies improve, the demand for good quality health care will only increase further.
Health in Africa is determined by various environmental, social, economic, political, cultural, religious, and ideological as well as external factors. In sub-Saharan Africa, studies have shown that about one in six African children die before their fifth birthday, with half of these dying from diseases preventable by vaccines; and one woman dies every two minutes from complications of pregnancy and delivery. This can simply be attributed to the presence of a weak healthcare system in Africa with poor infrastructure and inaccessibility to proper health services especially by the percentage of the African population living below the poverty line.
The Sustainable Goal Development number 3 which is to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages has become a priority to not just the African Government but NGOs and Charity Foundations as well. In this post, we highlight 10 medical charities committed to advocating for a stronger healthcare system and changing lives across various countries in Africa.
Significant progress has been made over the last decade towards the elimination of paediatric AIDS. Yet each day, approximately 700 children are still infected with HIV. 90% of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa, and most acquire HIV from their mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding.
Effective and inexpensive medical interventions are available that can keep mothers and babies healthy. Without these interventions, up to 40% of infants born to HIV-positive mothers will contract the virus. With treatment, that number can be reduced to 2%. However, most health centers in sub-Saharan Africa are severely understaffed which leaves doctors and nurses with only minutes to give a pregnant woman her HIV diagnosis and explain all of the drugs and tests she must adhere to in order to keep herself healthy and protect her baby from HIV.
The stigma of HIV that is prevalent in many African communities causes women to live in fear, making it difficult for them to get the care they need. Mothers2mothers (m2m) is changing that. We train, employ, and empower Mentor Mothers, who are mothers living with HIV, to work alongside doctors and nurses in understaffed health centers as members of the healthcare team. In one-on-one and group sessions,
Mentor Mothers provide essential health education and psychosocial support to other HIV-positive mothers on how they can protect their babies from HIV infection, and keep themselves and their families healthy. Mentor Mothers’ ties to the community and first hand-hand knowledge of HIV makes them highly effective peer mentors.
Crowdsourcing to pay for your medical funds is always an option. Donate-ng is the “go to” portal for crowdfunding in Nigeria, where Nigerians in Nigeria and in the Diaspora or people with Nigerian descent and affiliation, can collectively help change lives through online fundraising for projects and charitable causes. It is the leader in online medical fundraising, and with a free account, you can start getting relief immediately.
“1k4sickle” is an initiative of donate-ng to encourage people to donate N1,000 ($4) to charities and NGO’s raising awareness for sickle cell anemia in Nigeria as well as supporting individuals living with sickle cell.
Did you know that Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of sickle cell births in the world? Over 150,000 children are born each year with sickle cell anemia (Hb SS). The disease is regarded as a silent baby killer as an estimated 50% to 80% of infants born with the disorder die before the age of 5 years.
Several NGOs and charities in Nigeria are working to create awareness for this disease, providing practical advice on how it could be avoided, educating kids in schools and providing support for those living with sickle cell anemia (Warriors). As part of the donate-ng’s commitment to the advancement of crowdfunding in Nigeria, we are working with 5 NGOs in Nigeria in the months of June and July to encourage donation to help eradicate this disease.
Your N1,000 would go a long way in reaching out to Individuals living with sickle cell anemia and support to charities championing the advocacy. There is a limitless amount of ways to make this world a better place and all it will cost you is to visit our medical fundraising page at https://donate-ng.com/1k4sickle and select a campaign of interest to donate to.
South African Medical and Education Foundation (SAME)
The SA Medical and Education Foundation is a (Sect) 18a public benefit organization, focusing on education and healthcare. Their mission is to create an environment where quality health care and education is available to everyone. They use high impact projects in order to supply medical and education services in South Africa with the resources they vitally need to enhance the services they already offer to the community. They work with facilities whose sole income source is the Government / state budget, and who are responsible for the health and education of over 85% of South Africa’s population. They are committed to helping the citizens of South Africa to equal healthcare and education no matter what their situation in life. Their track record of completing over 60 projects in the last 16 years shows our dedication to uplift communities through strategic projects.
RedAid Nigeria is a young Nigerian non-governmental organisation. Our mission is to provide healthcare services to indigent people affected by neglected tropical diseases and other diseases associated with poverty and their consequences such as disabilities. We focus on health in a holistic approach and enable Nigerians with impairments to (re)gain control of their lives.
RedAid Nigeria is a sister organization to German Leprosy and TB Relief Association (GLRA) which has 50+ years of experience in the Nigerian healthcare and rehabilitation sector.
It promote health, which is more than just fighting diseases. It is a holistic perspective on the prevention of illness and disability. It also encourage social inclusion by improving the mobility of people with disabilities and creating awareness on the dangers of stigmatization and support persons with disabilities with assistive devices so that they can move their own lives forward.
Africa Health Organisation (AHO) (Zimbabwe)
Africa Health Organisation (AHO) is an international health agency. It is the newest and most recently established international health agency covering the whole African continent and the diaspora. It is an independent health agency run by the people for the people. It is part of the people system. AHO provides both technical cooperation and health service delivery.
AHO vision is delivering high quality sustainable health service and be the major catalyst for ensuring that all the peoples of Africa enjoy optimal health with effort to lead strategic collaborative efforts among countries in Africa and other partners to promote equity in health, to combat disease, and to improve the quality of, and lengthen, the lives of the peoples of Africa. The main aim is to help African people attaining and maintaining optimum health and quality of life, to combat Communicable Diseases, tackle Noncommunicable Diseases, address Determinants of Health and Risk Factors and modernise Health System and Health Service.
Wellbeing Foundation (Nigeria)
The Wellbeing Foundation Africa was founded in 2004 by Her Excellency Mrs Toyin Ojora Saraki, with the aim of improving health outcomes for women, infants and children. At the WBFA, we combine our programmes with advocacy work in Nigeria and around the world.
Over 200,000 women have taken part in our flagship ‘MamaCare’ classes in Nigeria. Despite dire national maternal mortality rates, we have not yet lost a single MamaCare mother. Our WBFA midwives transform the lives of mothers, their children and communities – and for whom no topic is off-limits.
Through a multi-layered strategy of research, advocacy, policy development, community engagement, philanthropy and education, Wellbeing Foundation Africa devises and implements programs which boldly deliver upon the stated objectives of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Three, Five, and Six: Good Health and Wellbeing, Gender Equality, and Clean Water and Sanitation, respectively. All Wellbeing programs address multiple intersections between these three goals, including, but not limited to:
- Further education for midwives and frontline community health workers;
- Improved education around water, sanitation and health (WASH) for life-saving healthy habits;
- Advancement of early childhood mental and physical health development, and;
- The fundamental necessity of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls for a fair and just society.
The need for such global goals are made particularly poignant in the context of Nigeria – a country with health challenges so pronounced, it is among the most-afflicted in the world.
Nigeria’s combination of large population and tremendous potential ensures that success – even moderate success — directly impacts the global numbers on health, wellbeing and progress, pivoting the global paradigm, from counteracting regressive standards to the more positive acceleration of progress.
As such, the Wellbeing Group delivers Nigerian priorities to the global stage to symbiotically advocate on a local level for the global priorities. Prosperous continuums of care and counsel are self-sustaining: healthy mothers make for healthy babies, which has a ripple effect on health of the nuclear family to the community at large, and ultimately transforms the health of nations, continents, and the world.
West African Health Foundation (WAHF) (Ghana)
The West African Health Foundation (WAHF) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization formed by a group of physicians on a mission to address the poor health and nutritional status of the people, particularly children and women, of the West African sub-region. WAHF aims to promote health through Wellness Education and Disease Prevention. This will be done through unrestricted, comprehensive medical and public health outreach interventions and educational programs that cover the following:
- Health & Wellness Education
- Medical Missions
- Medical Equipment / Surgical Supplies Donation
- WAHF Malaria Control Program.
Nigerian Heart Foundation is a non-profit and non-governmental organization founded in 1992 to promotes heart health, scientific research in cardiovascular health, healthy lifestyles and advocacy on heart issues.
Its main vision is to promote prevention of Heart Disease and Stroke, and empower Nigerians to live a healthy life with the aim of reducing the number of Nigerians suffering from premature death and disabilities
We are funded by public and private sector support in terms of donations in cash and kind.
The aims and objectives of Nigerian Heart Foundation are:
- To promote the health and social wellbeing of Nigerians especially in the areas of prevention and treatment of heart and allied diseases
- To organize International, National and Local Conferences, Seminars, Workshops and participate in topics related to heart diseases.
- To disseminate up-to-date information on heart and other related diseases.
- To establish contacts and affiliate with other groups, persons, organizations and associations with similar interests either within or outside the country.
- To establish and administer research fund.
- To create awareness, educate and enlighten the public on a behavioural modification for the prevention of heart diseases and other cardiovascular diseases.
African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) (Kenya)
The African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) is a non-governmental organization founded and based in Africa with 50 years’ experience in health development. Today, it is one of the continent’s leading research organizations. It implements projects through country programs in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Southern Sudan and South Africa; while training and consulting support are provided to 30 more countries. AMREF’s mission is to ensure that every African can enjoy the right to good health by helping to create vibrant networks of informed communities that work with empowered care providers in strong health systems.
With a range of short specialized courses, a world class library and information services and a continually growing collection of health learning materials, AMREF has become an African leader in the training of community health workers, all of whom play a vital role in the mission to eradicate poverty and change lives. AMREF provides mobile and clinic health services to Africa. It trains physicians and other health care workers to deliver primary health care. It expands disease control initiatives by advocacy and research with greater access to healthcare being the main goal. AMREF has a new eLearning program to train and update health care workers, especially in rural areas where access to treatment is most needed. AMREF’s International Training Centre in Nairobi has become known as an important institution for regional training of health workers. The Diploma in Community Health course has seen graduates from all over Africa, in turn spreading improved health practices and bettering the lives of many communities. AMREF joined the Alliance in 2007 as an implementing Partner.
Visit a Hospital Foundation (Nigeria)
Visit a Hospital Foundation is a charity organization whose purpose is to pay hospital bills and relieve under privileged people of their burden whilst they are in the hospital. The focus is to relieve patients and their families of the financial burden that comes with laborious illnesses and health challenges and the target are government hospitals that have patients in the low socio-economic bracket in the society. Their aim is to help these patients with the medical bills and medications which they often cannot afford due to circumstances beyond their control.
These visits occur monthly. Each month, a specific group of patients were focus on and with the help of the designated social workers of the chosen hospital, they work hand in hand with them, to identify the patients who need our help which include cases like amputated children, burn victims, pregnant women, emergency cases, patients with health challenges including the distribution of provisions amongst patients and giving that little extra attention to patients who have been abandoned by the families. All these cases have one thing in common; patients who simply cannot afford to pay their bills or cannot afford medication.
We have seen so many instances where a life could have been saved if they had access to medications that cost as low as N3,000 naira. This is where Visit a Hospital Foundation comes in with the aim to relieve the burden and in the process save and improve quality of lives. This was achieved through the help of some generous donors.
Conclusion
The medical history of Africa is an often overlooked field, despite the significant role disease has played in the continent’s history. While there have been remarkable efforts to combat health challenges in Africa through donor attention, the region still faces a lack of healthcare infrastructure and a shortage of trained medical personnel. However, as Africa’s economies improve, the demand for high-quality healthcare will continue to grow. Various factors, such as environmental, social, economic, political, cultural, religious, and ideological influences, as well as external factors, contribute to the overall health in Africa. The Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting wellbeing for all is a priority for African governments, NGOs, and charity foundations. This article highlights ten medical charities that are dedicated to advocating for a stronger healthcare system and changing lives across Africa. Mothers2mothers is working to combat pediatric AIDS by training and empowering Mentor Mothers to provide essential health education and support to HIV-positive mothers. Donate-ng.com offers a platform for crowdfunding medical funds in Nigeria, particularly supporting individuals living with sickle cell anemia. The South African Medical and Education Foundation (SAME) focuses on providing quality healthcare and education to all citizens of South Africa, regardless of their circumstances. These organizations are making a significant impact in improving healthcare access and outcomes in Africa.
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