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Local residents provide aid in Tanzania
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Jane Hetzel of Springfield comforts a child in Tanzania. Reminder submitted photo
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By Lori O'Brien
Correspondent
For three weeks this past summer, 17 area residents worked nonstop in a remote African village to bring desperately needed acute care services to persons of all ages.
"The population we treat has little exposure to health care," said Paul Hetzel, M.D., who recently spoke with Reminder Publications, adding "some had never seen a physician."
Hetzel is a physician member of Jambo Tanzania, a local nonprofit humanitarian organization of volunteers who provide health and educational initiatives in the Bukoba region of Tanzania, Africa. Jambo Tanzania, formed in 1999 by area residents Mary Banda, M.D., and Richard Pelland, travel at their own expense to provide medical care, distribute medications and address the ever-present educational needs of the villagers. Volunteers are physicians, nurses, teachers, lawyers, a judge and business professionals.
Hetzel explained that the group's humanitarian mission this past summer lasted three weeks, including working 14 consecutive days at the clinic where 1,800 patients were treated.
"There are 25 million cases of AIDS in sub Sahara Africa, and for the first time some local villagers were receiving treatment," said Hetzel.
The rest of the time was spent getting to and from the remote location and assuring their medical supplies and personal baggage was safely transported from the airport at Arusha to Bukoba by truck and boat.
"There are no planes large enough to fly our supplies to our village," he added.
Jambo Tanzania members were able to deliver acute care services as planned, though their long-term goal is to build a permanent facility and staff it with local health care providers and volunteers from Jambo, according to Hetzel.
Hetzel added that the group was able to transport approximately 350,000 multivitamins to the local school which will provide each school child a vitamin a day for one year.
"Next spring we will send another 350,000 vitamins," he noted.
Tanzania is larger than France and Germany combined, has a median age of 18 and is one of the poorest countries on Earth, according to Hetzel.
"Malaria, diarrheal diseases and malnutrition are endemic," he noted, adding "in our area there is no electricity and villagers have to walk daily to obtain water."
Hetzel said Jambo Tanzania is in the process of funding several wells and water storage facilities in the area.
Jambo Tanzania's next goal is to also purchase DDT impregnated mosquito nets for the villagers in an attempt to markedly decrease the incidence of malaria as it kills 600,000 African children a year.
"We welcome anyone interested in helping us achieve our goals and with fundraising," said Hetzel.
Hetzel noted there are no administrative costs applied to monies collected so 100% of what is raised benefits designated projects.
Organizations and schools interested in learning more about the group's work can also request a presentation through the Jambo Tanzania website.
For more information on the humanitarian organization, visit www.jambotanzania.com.
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