Our partner HEAL Africa has been performing fistula repairs since 2003. Their main facility is in the large town of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but much of their recent work has focused on making fistula care more accessible to rural populations. Last year, a mobile surgical team traveled to Lisala, an isolated area in the rain forest of northwestern DRC roughly 1,000 miles from Goma.
Despite significant challenges, including an increasingly unstable political situation in DRC and a cholera outbreak in Lisala, our partners at HEAL report that the trip was successful.
Thanks to your support, they were able to provide 120 fistula surgeries, purchase necessary supplies and equipment, including a portable X-ray machine, and train 15 local health care providers.