Local NGO wins K160m award
Friends of Sick Children (Fosc) in Malawi has been awarded $ 400 000 (about K160 million) to enhance its simple but lifesaving technology that eases the breathing of newborn babies with respiratory challenges.
Announcing the award yesterday, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Save the Children in a press statement said Fosc got the highest fund in the first of their $ 1 million Healthcare Innovation Award.
The NGO is a charitable arm of the Paediatric Department of Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) which uses the lifesaving kit called ‘bubble’ Continous Positive Airway Pressure (bCPAP) that helps babies that are in respiratory distress by keeping their lungs inflated so they can breathe easily.
Paediatrican at QECH Elizabeth Molyneux is quoted in the statement, saying: “Friends of Sick Children, Malawi is delighted to be the recipient of the first GSK-Save the Children Healthcare Innovation Award.
“We are honoured to be recognised for the work that we are doing in Malawi and we hope it inspires further global health innovation.”
She said the money will enable them to replicate and scale up their programme, ensuring they reach and save even more children’s lives.
GSK area sales manager for Malawi,Patrick Tsonga said the project showed what can be achieved through grass-roots innovation.
“We are delighted to be able to recognise the hard work of all involved. It is saving lives of Malawi’s children today that can make a difference for millions of children around the world tomorrow,” he said.
According to the statment, the hospital, College of Medicine (CoM) and Rice University’s Rice and Institute for Global Health have already partnered to distribute the breathing technology in 27 hospitals throughout Malawi.
