Volunteer Dr. Anna has written a story about her time volunteering with us. Enjoy reading about Anna’s medical placement and how her expertise positively impacted during her time in Malawi.
When I was 17, I had the privilege of experiencing Africa for the first time during a charity trip with my school and since then I have been waiting for the opportunity to return and work as a qualified doctor.
Having worked in healthcare in a few developed countries for the past 5 years, I am aware of the vast number of investigations and treatment options available at our fingertips. It was a truly eye-opening experience to work in Malawi and witness first-hand the struggles and difficulties of delivering healthcare in a low resource setting. It is a regular occurrence to have to weigh up the cost of travel to the nearest health facility to the amount of money required to feed a family for a week and an impossible decision that many Malawian families must make.
A close friend and colleague, Jessie and I started our volunteering in Nhkata Bay District Hospital where we completed a six-week orientation for the Medical Council of Malawi.
Here we had hands on experience of managing emergencies and sick patients who came in the door and participating in daily ward rounds in the adults and children’s departments. From day one I saw much more advanced presentations of similar diseases we see at home as well as many tropical diseases we rarely deal with in the developed world.
We then spent the following seven weeks around the beautiful setting of Ripple Africa where we based ourselves mostly in the Tukombo area; well-known for its busy fishing village which unfortunately is where a high number of sex workers work. Early on we were astonished at the significantly high rates of Syphilis and Hepatitis B affecting this community, mostly due to sexual transmission. The local health centre had only recently started testing for Hepatitis B alongside HIV and Syphilis and as this test is free and readily available, we took the opportunity to encourage the repeated testing of any sexually active patient who attended the clinic, regardless of the reason they had attended. Both conditions can be treated locally if identified early, although unfortunately usually present at a late stage when they are life-threatening and most likely terminal.
With the assistance of some of Ripple Africa’s wonderful local staff, we were able to set up and run some women’s groups in the community where we could highlight the testing and treatment services available and encourage people within the area to come and get tested. We were also able to discuss other women’s health issues which often get neglected and were able to answer their burning questions and attempt to demystify some of the misconceptions which had infiltrated this community, particularly about contraception.
We also had a great opportunity to do some sex education sessions with some young students in secondary schools around the area. From a healthcare point of view, addressing contraception uptake and women’s health concerns is paramount to creating a future generation of empowered young people. We attempted to encourage open discussion and questioning and hope they can consider a future where they feel in control of their bodies and decisions about family planning.
Overall, I am encouraged and hopeful about the community-led work that Ripple Africa does in this region. I am so thankful for the opportunity to experience volunteering in this incredible country and would encourage anyone looking for a similar experience to get in touch. It certainly won’t be my last time in Africa, Tiwonanengi Mbwenu Malawi!
If you want to find out more about volunteering with Ripple Africa, click here.