Hatfield Archer Hospital Launches Hepatitis B Vaccination Program Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver most associated with infection from one of five hepatitis viruses. Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C most commonly cause chronic infection leading to liver disease, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 354 million people worldwide are infected with Hepatitis B and C.   In 2019, the WHO estimated that 296 million people were living with chronic Hepatitis B infection, with 81 million in the WHO Africa region. There is no comprehensive data on the degree of chronic Hepatitis B and Hepatitis

Seamstress and Cook Extraordinaire Memsor Is Retiring Our dear friend, Memsor, has retired from the Rotifunk Hospital where she prepared all of the meals for the patients admitted to the Hospital, including the Madonna Project patients.  She also is an amazing seamstress and sews tote bags and aprons for Mission of Hope to sell in the US.  We love her and cherish her friendship!

Introducing Lumeh, Community Health Officer https://rotifunk.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Lumay.mp4

Cultural Beliefs Hinder Medical Treatment The concept of late presentation of patients to hospital is a never-ending phenomenon at Hatfield Archer Memorial hospital and in fact, it gets worsen each year. The socioeconomic, cultural believes and the high rate of illiteracy are factors always eating deep into the minds of people in their communities. Each time we received a critical patient (most of which are children), we put up our utmost best to make sure that patient survives. This is not only because we want to fulfill our responsibility of saving lives, but to also prove to these communities that

Rice Prices Increase Again As we have reported in previous newsletters, as part of the Madonna Program, Mission of Hope provides a 12.5 kg bag of rice to a new mother when she is discharged from the Rotifunk Hospital after giving birth and another 12.5 kg bag of rice at her 6 week check up.  In addition, Madonna patients are provided 2 meals per day while in the Hospital and rice is always on the menu.  Thus, the Hospital is in the business of buying rice, the staple of all meals in Sierra Leone. Unfortunately, the reality is that the

Hernia Surgery Saves Lives A generous donor provided a generous grant to enable the Rotifunk Hospital staff, along with staff brought in from other hospitals, to perform more than 140 inguinal hernia repairs in September and October for male swamp rice farmers who live along the Bumpeh District, downriver from Rotifunk.  Nearly 70% of all employed individuals in Sierra Leone work in agriculture and the work of swamp rice farmers, in particular, involves extremely strenuous manual labor due to the nature of the physical maintenance of the crops.  In recent surveys, one in five farmers are unable to work at