Last year, the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH) and Friends in Global Health (FGH) worked together to collect a container full of donated medical supplies, and had it shipped to the Provincial Health Department located in the Zambézia Province of Mozambique. In October 2016, the container arrived in the port of Quelimane. Together with Project C.U.R.E. (Commission on Urgent Relief and Equipment), a non-profit organization with the mission to deliver donated medical supplies and equipment to hospitals and clinics, VIGH and FGH collected $360,000 worth of critical medical supplies and equipment for some of the most isolated health facilities among the FGH-supported Districts in Zambézia Province. The contents included a wide variety of medical items including basic first aid supplies, bandages and disinfectant for wound care, plaster and fiberglass for broken bones, and materials such as intravenous tubing, sutures, and catheters for basic surgery. Other items included materials to support safe childbirth such as obstetrical surgery kits, sterile drapes and infant scales. Laboratory supplies included syringes, tubing, a centrifuge and a freezer to store vaccines. Personal-protective gear for health workers such as gloves, lab coats and stethoscopes were donated as well. Friends in Global Health supports lifesaving HIV/AIDS care and treatment services in partnership with the Ministry of Health in Mozambique. The materials donated by VIGH and FGH will empower Mozambican health workers to provide quality care to all by providing them with the tools they need to safely treat their patients. Learn more about Friends in Global health here.
Video Interview: Themos Ntasis, Ph.D, MPH, FGH Mozambique Country Director (Portuguese with subtitles)