The start of a new year is always a good time to look back, and in our case, to be proud.

In 2011 there were 159 missions – This is an average of over 13 missions every month or 1 mission every workday and a half. This way 351 doctors and other medical volunteers were in a position to help, during their holidays, severely ill people. They worked a total of 41.000 hours for free, operated, gave consultations, provided training,…
A big thank you to all our volunteers who shared their free time with Medics Without Vacation.

Report of the study group:

Mr. Johan Swinnen, the former Belgian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has held a speech in the offices of Medics Without Vacation on "Ethic and development cooperation".
It became an exciting evening where Mr Swinnen mainly spoke from his own experience.
He sketched his own findings with regard to the democratisation process in Congo and the need for self-reflection by the government on their responsibilities towards the local population.

November is traditionally a very busy month for MWV. And this can be clearly seen if you take a look at list of all the teams departing.

The region of the Great Lakes has always been our focussed region with 17 visiting teams:

The open day in the Academical Hospital of Oudenaarde was a big success. And this for sure thanks to the motivated contribution of an enthusiastic Nic Blancke (nurse and volunteer in the field for MWV) and a whole troop of colleagues.

In Ndera (Rwanda), Piet and Jan will do their best for improving care and in particular the treatment of children with mental disorders.

MWV wants more brand awareness... Help us to choose the right advertisement by voting for it!

Medics Without Vacation has been working for better health care in Africa for almost 30 years, but too few people do know us... It is high time to change something about that!

Report on the Tropical Medicine course for nurses:
A bright sun.
Actually it was not a day to sit inside.

And just today, MWV organises another information and training day about tropical diseases for the benefit of nursing staff that, as volunteers, worked or are going to work in the Tropics, in order to expand their medical knowledge in African pathogenic micro flora and fauna.

Dr. Jean Van Hauwaert, paediatrician, has been working with Medics Without Vacation already since 1999. After 10 missions, we summarise his work as paediatrician.

How was your first mission for MWV?

The first time that I went to Africa, I went to Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was in the course of 'Atelier de Perfection' which was organised in the capital by professors of the university. It was the goal to give theoretical education to doctors of the country. I soon noticed that, without practice, it would be very difficult to provide a good training. Besides a great need for knowledge, there is a great need for equipment and infrastructure...

The mayhem a big volcano on a small lsland can cause…you wouldn’t believe...the Eyjafjallajökull disrupts the economy and the plans of many people, but on top of that it throws a spanner in the projects of Medics without Vacation.

Dr. Lucien Lefevre has already been to Africa 7 times to operate on patients with cleft lips. Because in Africa, children who are born with cleft lips are hidden: they must not be seen because the people there believe that they are jinxed. Lucien gave a speech on this issue in front of the Davids Foundation in Aalst: they gave EUR 250 to Medics Without Vacation for the children in Burundi. Thank you Davids Foundation!