This campaign has now closed

Many of the poorest cities in the world are ports – places with the highest infant mortality, shortest life expectancy and lowest income. Mercy Ships docks in these places deploying volunteer professionals, onboard the largest NGO hospital ship in the world, to provide world class care for those who don’t have a National Health Service to turn to. Returning confidence and independence to vulnerable and isolated individuals Our newset hospital ship is self-contained, equipped with its’ own water, power, skilled volunteers and medical supplies. In this way Mercy Ships can side-step some of the basic and intractable problems facing other aid agencies – lack of reliable power, water, personnel and ways to deliver supplies – and make a lasting difference

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Categories

  • Disaster Relief Disaster Relief
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Poverty Alleviation/Relief Poverty Alleviation/​Relief
  • Beneficiaries

    • Women & Girls Women & Girls
    • Young People (18-30) Young People (18-30)

    Situation

    Hope Reborn is urgently needed. Death during pregnancy and childbirth is of epidemic proportions in the developing world. More than half a million women die each year while carrying or delivering a baby (WHO, 2005). Of those women that survive, the most feared childbirth injury is fistula, damage to the body causing debilitating and permanent incontinence. Women disabled by fistula are usually very young, rural and illiterate (Lancet, Oct 13, 2007 pp1329-1337). With fistula they are even more vulnerable, often rejected by their husbands, separated from their children and ostracised by their communities Project Goals: Reduce the prevalence of VVF (Vesico Vaginal Fistula) and RVF (Rectal Vesico Fistula) via expert surgery & community education. Build local capacity Expected Outcomes: 50 girls and women to receive corrective surgery & counselling. Improve understanding of obstructed labour and its effects through women’s meetings and community forums 3 African/Africa based surgeons & 3 obstetric nurses trained in VVF/RVF Work with obstetric nurses to improve local capacity. Cost: Total project costs are £150,000

    Solution

    100%
    Categories

  • Disaster Relief Disaster Relief
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Poverty Alleviation/Relief Poverty Alleviation/​Relief
  • Beneficiaries

    • Women & Girls Women & Girls
    • Young People (18-30) Young People (18-30)