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Health
HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB and diarrhoea are the major health problems in Zambia. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has pushed most families below the poverty line. One in six adults and thirty-three thousand children are infected with the HIV virus. Longevity is only thirty six years of age. Malaria is the biggest killer of man, most deaths occur in children under the age of five in Sub-Sahara Africa. Lack of safe drinking water increases the risk of diarrhoea, which can be fatal in infants.
The Butterfly Tree runs at number of health programs in rural clinics, which receive very little government funding. The most crucial are Malaria prevention to outreach communities providing mosquito nets and malaria testing kits as well as educational workshops. HIV/AIDS prevention, encourages people to be tested in order to know their status; support, counselling and treatment are also available. A number of children have received funding for operations, special diets, medication and physiotherapy.
Over twenty thousand people are dependent on the funding and medical supplies we provide to three rural clinics at Mukuni Health Centre and Katapazi and N’songwe clinics. We work with highly qualified government employed medical staff and have arranged for experienced volunteers to assist at the clinics and hospital in Livingstone. Our support is vital – without it these vulnerable people would have very limited medical services.
The only way to reduce the HIV/AIDS statistics is through education - one in six adults in Zambia are infected with the HIV virus. Every family is infected or affected. Our aim is to target school pupils so that they can be the ones that make the change. We…
The Butterfly Tree has initiated HIV and AIDS Prevention projects to fight the pandemic. A feeding program to help prevent mother to child transmission replacing breast milk with formula, the first to be initiated in Zambia – all participating infants are free of HIV. Our other projects include funding voluntary testing…
According to the World Health Organization half of the world’s population are at risk of malaria. While there are four parasites that can cause malaria in humans, Plasmodium falciparum is by far the most deadly and common, this strain is prevelant in Zambia. Malaria prevention is the key…
In June 2008 The Butterfly Tree opened their new maternity clinic to provide a safer place to deliver babies. The health authorities advise women to come to the clinic rather than have traditional home births. All woman who are pregnant and wish to use these facilities have to agree to tested for HIV and will…
Latest Happenings WITH OUR Health Projects
HIV and AIDS Prevention
Education is the key
Virtually all the work of The Butterfly Tree revolves around the HIV and AIDS orphans. At Mukuni Village almost 50% of the school children have lost one or more parent putting a huge burden on elderly grandparents and guardians and its the same story in every village. We…
World AIDS Day 2011
The Butterfly Tree HIV and AIDS Prevention
Today marks World AIDS Day. Over 30 million people have died from AIDS related causes. An estimated 33 million are living with HIV. 2.9 million of these are children. Around 68% of from sub-Sahara Africa. Zambia has the seventh highest prevalence in the world. Today gives the opportunity…
October 2011 Newsletter
Three new schools for Zambia
During my recent visit to Zambia the nation’s general elections took place. With a change of government it is believed that Michael Sata, the new President, will increase aid to deprived areas and stamp out corruption. Although I never involve the charity in political matters, measures to improve health…
Education for Zambia
Further development in schools
On Saturday I will be flying out to Zambia for what I am hoping will be a very rewarding trip. The three schools that we are currently building in the villages of Matengu and Silelo in the Musokatwane Chiefdom and Malima in the Mukuni Chiefdom should be completed by the…
We have just received our figures for the 2010-2011 accounts and I am delighted to say that we have reiased a remarkable £270,000 (US$445,000. This is our best year to date. All the funds have gone directly into our grassroots projects in Zambia. Our annual report and accounts will…