Life Support Foundation is expanding its operations in Africa. A research project has been launched and seminars in Intensive Care have started in Malawi.
A research project has been launched in Malawi by Dr. Tim Baker. The “Critical Illness Prevalance and Outcome Study” aims to map out the clinical importance of critical illness in hospitals in Malawi. Work has also started with Intensive Care seminars each week for staff at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, as well as projects to improve routines and care on the intensive care unit.
Malawi has a population of around 17 million people and at least 40 percent of them live in poverty . Child and maternal mortality rates are high and life expectancy is low. A contributing factor to these health outcomes is the lack of good quality emergency medical services in hospitals. Currently there are only four doctors specialised in Anaesthesia in the whole country, a situation that Life Support Foundation wants to rectify with a repeat of previous successes from Malawi’s neighbouring country, Tanzania.
Earlier this year Life Support Foundation sponsored the participation of two Malawians at the national Anaesthesia Conference in Tanzania, and training courses, staff exchanges and other projects are being planned.
– Our research, weekly seminars and assistance with attending international scientific conferences are important steps towards developing the specialty and saving lives in a country where Anaesthesia and Intensive Care are lagging behind says Tim Baker, Chairman of Life Support Foundation currently working in Malawi.
