Running for Memisa & accessible health care in DR Congo
Donation protected
On 15 September, I will run the Copenhagen Half Marathon in support of Memisa, and specifically to raise funds to support the construction of a new health centre in Pay Kongila, DR Congo.
Memisa is a Belgian NGO that works to improve access to health care, especially in the domain of maternal and child health. I followed a lot of their initiatives in Kikwit and the surrounding rural regions during my doctoral fieldwork (medical anthropology) and I have seen first hand the life-saving interventions they have made in support of the state health infrastructure. Moto-ambulances to help patients arrive at health facilities despite poor road infrastructure; training and education for health workers; provision of essential medical equipment; rehabilitation and construction of health centres -- all of these programs have made significant improvements to the accessibility of health care in the towns and villages where they are active. I saw it over and over again during my fieldwork.
Pay Kongila is a village and rural health zone located about 100km beyond Kikwit, and while the small central village of 7000 inhabitants has a fairly well-equipped reference hospital, it also serves a population of some 180,000 spread out over 100km2. With extremely challenging roads and the lack of any other urban centres nearby, secondary health centres distributed throughout the large terrain are absolutely essential for primary care, including care for pregnant women and their babies. Memisa is currently collecting funds to construct another health centre to meet this need. I spent some time in Pay Kongila during my fieldwork, and was impressed by the strength of the community links both with the hospital and with Memisa. So I have confidence not only in the need for this project, but also that it will be implemented well.
So in Copenhagen this fall, I will be running in support of the incredibly dedicated health workers I met in Pay Kongila, and I am asking for your support for Memisa, in supporting them.
If you want to read more about some of my research in Pay Kongila and the state of the local health structures (and Memisa's moto-ambulance project in the health zone), I published a couple of blog posts (with photos) on the subject here:
Organizer
Trisha Lawrence
Organizer
Rotselaar, VLG