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Medical Assistance in Africa (MDH)
Medical Assistance in Africa (MDH) is a non-profit organization that provides healthcare for the poor in Kenya. Dr. Olaf Foerster is the founder and chairperson of Medical Assistance in Africa. He has been working in Kenya since 1996. His Lutheran church in Germany has provided much of the support for the project. His Lutheran church in Johannesburg, South Africa is a partner with our Ministry Network. He can be reached by e-mail at: olaf.foerster@mdh-africa.org
MDH works in partnership with a hospital in Malindi, Kenya where needy patients receive treatment at minimal cost or even free of charge. MDH also runs a clinic in Kokotoni, a disadvantaged rural community. Some of the patients treated in Kokotoni walk through the bush for two days to reach our clinic-they have no other access to healthcare facilities.
In the remotest areas of the country, MDH operates mobile clinics run by teams of doctors, dentists and pharmacists. Sometimes the clinic will operate out of a schoolhouse or church, but often the best spot is underneath a shady tree. During mobile clinics, we'll often treat more than a thousand people in a day. Patients receive medical treatment, drugs and prescription lenses free of charge. The mobile clinics are important to our mission, since these people often have no other way to get medical care.
MDH also trains community health workers to care for AIDS patients. AIDS still carries a stigma, and many infected people die under miserable conditions. The public health system is overburdened, and many chronic cases are simply sent home to die. Our community health workers are there to care for people in their homes and teach relatives how to look after sick and dying loved ones.
There is not safety net here. Most of those infected with HIV are family breadwinners, which means that once they become too sick to work, the family often goes hungry. AIDS is wiping out the productive generation, leaving the old and young without means of support. Children are taken out of school to care for sick parents. To alleviate this problem, MDH has begun a hunger relief program. Patients with advanced AIDS are given money to buy food, and orphaned children infected with HIV and their caregivers also receive financial support.
Medical Assistance in Africa is a non-profit organization-salaries are paid only to a nurse in at the clinic in Kokotoni and the community health workers. Most of our work is done by volunteers. We are always seeking donations to keep our work going. [information about how to contribute]
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Update from MDH:
HIV/AIDS Community Health Workers
Twenty percent of Kenyans aged 16 to 49 are HIV positive. The public health care system is overburdened by the high number of patients. In 2004, affected local communities identified 15 leaders who were trained as Community Health Workers (CHW) by MDH. Ten CHW passed the four-month training period successfully and received one-year contracts with MDH. We hope to extend their employment into next year, but our work depends on donations. We appeal to you to support generously! The Kenyan nurse Grace Ruria coordinates our 10 CHW.
People living with HIV/AIDS are still stigmatized, and many die under miserable conditions. Our CHW visit villages and slums to provide nursing care and spiritual support for people in their last stage of life. They identify patients who need to be transferred to hospital for treatment of opportunistic infections. The CHW teach relatives nursing skills to take over patient management whenever possible.
Prevention is better than treatment – that’s why our CHW teach their respective communities about prevention of HIV transmission and provide counseling.
HIV/AIDS Hunger Relief
Our work among people living with AIDS constantly keeps us in touch with abject poverty. The majority of HIV positive people should be the family breadwinners, but since they are physically unable to provide, their families are starving. Children are unable to attend school because they must care for sick parents or simply because there is no money for school books and fees.
MDH has set up an AIDS hunger relief program, enabling our CHW to provide comprehensive care. Patients who are physically unable to provide for themselves receive adequate financial support to buy food. Orphans who are affected by or infected with HIV and their foster parents receive financial support for food and school fees.
MDH and Tawfiq Hospital established the Commission for Orphans and Hunger Relief (COHR), which allocates these funds on an individual basis. Members of the commission hold honorary appointments.
Posted by: Olaf Forster at April 5, 2005 08:07 AM
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