Charity saves lives in Africa

A Cheltenham charity is hoping to save thousands more lives in Africa by teaching the virtues of sterile sheets over cow dung.

The Kambia Hospital Appeal Fund is training 400 women in Sierra Leone to provide basic medical care for villagers. The charity has been making a difference to some of the poorest people in the world since it built a hospital for the Kambian district of the West African country. But, with most of the population living several days' walk away, countless lives are still being lost.

Pregnant women make up the majority of casualties and the country has the highest mortality rate in Africa. Birthing assistants who traditionally support mums-to-be and women in labour are being taught how to deal with basic problems and spot emergencies.

"We're teaching them basic things that will help them to help women better and alert them to danger signs meaning hospital care is needed," said the charity's spokesman James Dowling. "One thing they do at the moment is put cow dung on the baby's umbilical cord when it's cut as a way of sealing it up and I've heard of them putting a dead mouse on the stomach. We're showing them other methods like how to take someone's pulse and temperature. Most women in Kambia will never see a doctor so by training the women we'll hugely increase their chances of survival."

Hospital staff were able to start the course thanks to £38,000 being raised by Gloucestershire fundraisers and donations. About £9,000 came from a palm wine extravaganza at Sacred Hearts Hall in Moorend Road in November. 

The money will also provide the birthing assistants with equipment such as sterile sheets.

The link between Cheltenham and Kambia was forged in 1992 when an African charity worker visited Gloucestershire. He asked for help to build the hospital and the charity was set up. When the hospital was destroyed in the civil war, the charity built a new one with the help of an EU grant.

19th April 2006  © Gloucestershire Echo