Public Health Projects

Public health education is a vital step to communities understanding health issues. Our volunteers have been involved in a variety of public health activities, ranging from bicycle ambulances, HIV/AIDS awareness and health education, to vegetable gardens for HIV/AIDS sufferers and orphans.

We have raised funds for six bicycle ambulances but still want to supply more. In rural areas, these bicycle ambulances are the only way for pregnant women and malaria patients to actually get to their local health centre which could be 15km away.

We started an HIV awareness campaign, and RIPPLE Africa pays for two Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) to visit local churches on Sundays where they give a 15 minute talk followed by a 15 minute question and answer session. This has been a very successful programme and, for a small investment, there has been an increase of 378 people who have been tested for HIV between July and October. The total figure tested for that period was 578. To show what an achievement that is, the town of Nkhata Bay, which has a much bigger population, tested 328 people in the same period. Georgina, a previous volunteer, put together a really good health guide with pictures drawn by a local artist and simple messages in the local language, ChiTonga. These guides are proving to be far more effective than the rather boring and wordy Government guides.

Funding has been received to construct a new Community Clinic at Matete. The community will be making the bricks during 2008 and construction will start between October and December 2008.

Jon, a RIPPLE Africa volunteer, started a drug revolving fund project which involved training a group of local volunteers and funding an initial supply of medicines. These medicines are then sold to patients locally, and the money is re-invested in more medicines. We need additional funding to expand this project.

We need to raise funds for...

Bicycle Ambulance Video