Lapalala Community Health Response
The Lapalala Community Health Response (LCHR) was established in February 2023 by Dr Iain Doig, Dr Samual Gunning and Dr Isabella Faliszewski, in response to healthcare challenges experienced by local communities residing at and around the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, including nearby villages Daggakrall, Thekwane, and Uitspan.
Medical Challenges
Local healthcare challenges were recorded in a Health Needs Assessment conducted in 2023. The focus of this assessment was a household survey with contributory information in the form of government data. The assessment highlights the prevalence of:
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- Asthma
- Tuberculosis (TB)
- HIV and
- Substance / Alcohol Abuse
Practical Challenges
Local healthcare challenges reflect much wider medical and practical challenges in both South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. They are caused or at least exacerbated by:
- Poor access to local clinics and hospitals (μ distance 2.3 hrs and 3.1 hrs)
- Lack of network coverage
- High levels of unemployment
- Inadequate supply of medications
- Religious leaders or traditional healers acting as healthcare providers
- Poor service at local clinics
- Lack of affordable and reliable transport
- Lack of family planning, antenatal and childbirth healthcare
We Need Doctors
We are urgently looking for qualified doctors from all over the world to come and join our team on a pro bono basis.
Contact Peter Anderson
peter@lapalala.com
