Zambia – Livingstone

The Need

***Note: Full COVID-19 Vaccination is Required for Participation***

Formerly a part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Zambia is now a democratic republic located in the heart of Africa. While the tourism economy in Zambia is thriving, the quality of living for the country’s native ethnic groups is suffering. Life expectancy at birth is >50 years and 1.2 million children are orphans, primarily due to parental death from AIDS. Zambia has the nineteenth highest death rate in the world, due as much to dismal sanitation as infectious disease and autoimmune disorders. In the rural areas, less than 50% of the population has access to safe drinking water, and only 3.2% of rural families have electricity. Children average seven years of school, much of it missed due to diarrhea and other common illnesses.

In our experience, clinic in Zambia is one of the busiest trips that our volunteers work. At clinic, you will treat entire family units, elderly patients, expectant mothers, and orphans. Because Zambia has the nineteenth highest death rate in the world, you can expect to care for many ailing patients. Common diseases that you will treat include conditions related to AIDS, infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, and diarrhea. 

You and the rest of the volunteer team will also educate locals on how to stay healthy and how to care for their loved ones. One of the main focuses of this mission is dentistry. Because dental pain is common here and because all community members are encouraged to attend, the demand for dental care will be high. We will have many local dental students and a professor at the dental school available to help translate and provide oral care.

Our Work

International Medical Relief first served Zambia in 2016. From 2016 to 2019, IMR has conducted six clinics, that consisted of 184 volunteers and staff who served around 6,000 patients. IMR plans to continue to provide community health training, medical treatments, medical supplies and equipment, and clinic operations in order to provide sustainable health care to Zambia. 

With diligent planning and preparation, IMR is dedicated to ensuring that specific goals are met on our missions, each in correlation to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 17.

IMR works to elevate vulnerable populations through shoulder-to-shoulder care with our local partners, creating workforce density, and a cadre of future healthcare and public health leaders in association to UNSDG 3: Good Health & Wellbeing. 

In correlation with UNSDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, our organization works in collaboration and at the request of local hosts where we are under their direct influence and affluence. IMR never goes into a country without a formal invitation where there is a great community need for medical or dental care, and health education.

This Mission

While the country of Zambia is rich in wildlife and scenery, its healthcare system suffers immensely. Indeed, the country has an unequal distribution of health facilities, there is a lack of equipment and human resources, and is a financial barrier for citizens to afford. Consequently, those living in the poorest and most rural areas have limited access to healthcare, resulting in thousands of unnecessary deaths annually. This is why International Medical Relief is traveling to Zambia to provide quality medical care for its under marginalized and rural citizens who would otherwise be unable to access it.

We will be traveling to the rural area of Lusaka to provide its residents with much-needed health care services and medications. Communities in rural areas access medical care from health posts and centers. Trained community health workers act as a bridge between the communities and health centers providing the most basic first line level of health care. We will attend to children, women, families, the elderly and more. All community members are invited to visit and be provided with education on how to stay healthy and care for their loved ones. Your final day of clinic will provide you with the opportunity to work with prison, street children, or orphanage populations. We will treat a wide variety of acute and chronic illnesses. The most common include eye infections, dental decay, skin infections, and upper respiratory diseases.

Lodging/Transportation

The team will be staying at two accommodations throughout the trip, each modernly furnished with excellent amenities. In the evenings you and the team will be able to explore the city and take part in many cultural events. All transportation to and from clinic sites will be included and provided by safe, trustworthy drivers. Travel times to clinics are very reasonable and you will see much of how the people of Zambia live in the rural areas during your drives.

Highlights

In one word, the highlight of this trip is “sustainability.” Training local health educators, health center nurses, and young dental students – and seeing the immediate results of your efforts – is a true and meaningful joy. Working with people left out of the health care system in some of the most impoverished places on earth and making a huge impact on the lives of many will sustain you as much as it does them. You will have the chance to care for the most under-served of all populations; this day may well be one of the most thought-provoking days of your life, challenging your assumptions and your skills while meaning more to your patients than you will ever be able to imagine.

While the most rewarding aspect of this trip will be caring for the Zambian people, the team will also have the opportunity to visit some of the country’s top attractions. The trip’s highlights include touring a local hospital and leprosy center, encountering baby elephants at an elephant orphanage, and siting the incredible African wildlife on a Safari.

Extend Your Stay

You’re venturing halfway across the globe. Have you considered extending your stay a few days to visit some of the area’s top spots?

Join IMR on an exclusive extension Chobe National Park, neighboring Botswana’s first and most biologically diverse national park. Chobe National Park has one the the greatest concentrations of game in all of Africa. Keep your eyes peeled on your private safari in search for the park’s noted population of lions and African elephants!

For more information on extending your trip, please contact our preferred travel agency, Worldwide Navigators. Their team of experienced agents and travelers is available via email at travel@worldwidenavigators.com.