Keeping our word

It is six months after our previous outreach program, so it is time for us to fulfil our promise. We return to the fishing villages near Shirati for continued education and free medication.

Because we’re constantly improving ourselves and our goals, this time we tried to up our game!

• The team worked with the local government. The government provided us with extra personnel and medication.
• We are expanding the outreach from two to three villages.
• The flow of patients in several locations is improved. Therefore we can help more people per day.

Our team of government staff, hospital personnel, nursing students and foundation members tirelessly helped people for three days.

The Results

• The local population of all three villages got information and education on schistosomiasis.
• Almost 900 people received free medication (praziquantel).

   

Our previous outreach project had a turn-out of +/- 350 people. So we helped almost three times as many people. Amongst the residents, nearly 500 patients never took any medication for schistosomiasis. 

Remarkably, 20- to 30-year-olds were underrepresented during the outreach. They are the critical age group where the first advanced symptoms of schistosomiasis can occur and are an important demographic group.

In the next six months, we want to research why we fail to reach them and how we can change that! We will keep you posted.