february camp report

We highlighted this little child last month, malnourished and severely underweight. Just a few days after the picture was taken he developed a febrile illness and despite fluids and broad spectrum treatment, sadly died. Within a subsistence economy there is little time to grieve and the following day his mother had little option but to return to her boat to fish.. alone with her thoughts...

This child had not been immunised and had been fed a very poor carbohyrate based diet. With a weak immune system and little reserve, acute and severe infection is almost univarsally fatal. Sadly this child did not have time to benefit from vaccination and nutritional support that had been set in place.

The community survey helped identify at risk children who are invited to the clinic for weighing and follow up.

Waiting until the child presents unwell is often too late.

The Nigerian Government is currently striving to reach every area of the country, including the Delta region, to vaccinate every child. New Foundations has joined each program using our own transportation to reach the inner creeks. Using vaccines made available to us, we have also added vitamin A to the regime , antihelminth treatment and iron supplements. Many are away from the villages during the day, so we  return at night to continue the camp on their return from the bush. Though National Immunisation days are to be lauded, many vaccines need follow-up doses and achieving this is notoriously difficult given the problems of peoples mobility and effective record keeping. Local clinics who can follow-up the individual families have the best chance of completing the vaccination schedule.We now have this data , and can review each child by a unique number.

Heading to the inner creeks with vaccines

Vaccination day at the Clinic ( mother holding record)

Severely dehydrated child monitored overnight with IV fluids by Health Care Workers.

24hrs later a much brighter child, tolerating oral fluids and medications.

Pre-eclampsia is a major cause of maternal mortality, both in the under-developed, and developed world. Uncontrolled hypertension (raised blood pressure) leads to multi-organ complications and the condition is only controlled by delivery of the infant. Care must be given in a hospital setting. In the rural riverine creeks this is a critical presentation where mostly the mother , and the child die. This young mother presented fitting and with prefoundly raised blood pressure. She was stabilised and safely transferred by our team to hospital.

Seizures during assessment

Transfer by clinic boat

Stable at waterside awaiting car