ZAM 33 - A HAND TO THE SICK
Project Location
The project will be implemented in three highly populated slums in Lusaka, and in the villages around Kaande, a rural population in the Western Province. The Comboni Missionary Sisters working in the parishes of Christ the Redeemer, Saint Monica and Holy Spirit, come into contact with hundreds of poor families who survive thanks to small informal activities and agriculture. Many families are headed by widows, elderly women or even children who are unable to cover the basic needs of their families, let alone medical expenses when they get sick.
Project description
In these remote villages and slums, there are many people who cannot afford a doctor's visit, x-rays, laboratory tests or medicines. The high rate of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and autoimmune disorders, make people very vulnerable to constant pain and prolonged illness. High exposure to malaria and its treatments increases the rate of sickle cell disease that leaves patients disabled and in constant suffering. Epilepsy and HIV are other common diseases that perpetuate the cycle of poverty.
The project will provide people with the opportunity to receive medical care by covering lab tests, x-rays, tests, medicines and doctor visits, as well as transportation costs for those who need to reach hospitals, both local and referral.
Objective
- Ensure medical care for sick people
Beneficiaries
Direct: about 60 patients who do not have access to any health system
Indirect: families
Referents sisters of the project: sr Sonia de Jesus Garcia e sr Enza Carini
Project's costs