MSL Medical Assistance Sierra Leone ACTION ON SPECIALIST CARE ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 JJ ## **ANNUAL REPORT** ## 2021 – 2022 Medical Assistance Sierra Leone supports access to health care and urgent medical treatment for communities and individuals in Sierra Leone. The organisation works with others to raise awareness of the key health and development issues facing communities in Sierra Leone – and to generate interest and support in meeting the health needs of the country. Working with local partners in the government health service and with a range of local NGOs, Medical Assistance Sierra Leone supports training for health workers, awareness-raising around health issues, and provides a range of medication and equipment to under-resourced services. ## 1. INTRODUCTION The reporting year 2021 to 2022 was one in which we worked on strengthening and maintaining our epilepsy support work, ensuring medical supplies to the clinics despite the rise in the cost of medication. We took our collaboration with the Sierra Leone Association of People with Albinism to the next level, securing some significant funding for capacity-building, awareness-raising, and a pilot skin clinic from Pro-Victimis Foundation (PVF). We are delighted at this support for the albinism work: over 80% of people with albinism in Sub-Saharan Africa will die from skin cancer between the age of 30 and 40 years (UN 2015). These deaths are entirely preventable with greater awareness, sun protection and access to skin care. The report below details MASL activities from October 2021 to September 2022. ## 2. SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH EPILEPSY IN SIERRA LEONE MASL continued to work with partners on increasing the numbers of people accessing epilepsy treatment, and advocacy and support to those experiencing isolation and discrimination as a result of the condition. **----- Start of picture text -----**
We are prioritising maintaining the clinic
and medication supplies as the core
service, and delivering training,
awareness-raising and support groups
when resources allow. We were
delighted to receive a grant from the
Bart Caulker Foundation this year to
support health worker training,
medication and supplies. Project
Consultant Neurologist Dr Lisk has
identified two trainee medical doctors
who are interested in neurology, and we
will use some of these funds to help
them with their final rotations so that they
may apply for neurology-specific
training.
We continue to support patients with six
epilepsy drugs. We fundraise for and
ship all of these drugs from the UK,
except one - Roweepra. We are
enormously grateful for our partnership
with the Row Foundation who annually
donate cartons of Roweepra
(levetiracetam); this quality generic drug
has helped to manage seizures in
patients who were not responding to the
other drugs.
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **ANNUAL REPORT** 2021 – 2022 ## 2. SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH ALBINISM There is very little support for the practical health problems faced by those with albinism in Sierra Leone, and multiple local beliefs surrounding the condition mean that the community experiences profound stigma and discrimination. ## 3.1 SHIPPING OF DONATED SUNSCREEN Our partnership with sunscreen company Altruist Sunscreen continued and this year we were very pleased to be offered further supplies of sunscreen free of charge for the Sierra Leone Association of Persons with Albinism. We fundraised to cover the costs of their shipment to Sierra Leone and these were distributed at ‘Living Safely With Albinism’ forums at locations across the country. The free sunscreen not only saves lives but brings people together to share experiences and create community; SLAPWA is developing a detailed understanding of the lives of its members which is informing its work. We have been working with the Sierra Leone Association of People With Albinism since 2019 on sunscreen support, medical treatment and awareness-raising. We were delighted to end this reporting year with news of a grant from Pro-Victimis Foundation. Our two year project, entitled ‘Creating Community and Promoting Rights: Living a full and safe life With Albinism in Sierra Leone’, aims to directly improve the health status and life opportunities of 1050 people with albinism in Sierra Leone through the promotion and facilitation of access to: - sun protection - skin cancer treatment - a supportive community of peers ## 3.2 PILOT DERMATOLOGY CLINIC Dr Bita Atika, a dermatologist working at a private hospital in Freetown, has continued to work with SLAPWA to voluntarily run skin screening clinics. We look forward to building on this work this year with the purchase of an electrocautery machine with the PVF project and securing a dedicated clinic space in SLAPWA’s offices. These activities will take place alongside targeted awareness-raising work to address stigma. This will include a Teacher’s Guide and we are once again grateful to Michael Duff (duff.tv) for taking photos of SLAPWA members in school settings earlier in 2022 in preparation for this important booklet. We continue to raise funds separately for the necessary and urgent surgeries for patients who are identified at the clinic. Surgical options only are available in Sierra Leone currently. ## **ANNUAL REPORT** 2021 – 2022 ## FUNDRAISING ## 4. OTHER INITIATIVES After last year’s donation of a paediatric bronchoscope from Karl Storz, German manufacturer of bronchoscopes, we used the funds from our online fundraising page to buy vital spares to ensure the bronchoscope is always available and in use at the Connaught Hospital. These items were delivered to Dr Kabineh at the Connaught Hospital in 2022; the picture below was taken after the successful removal of a foreign object from the lung of a five year old child using the equipment. We have continued to offer some financial support to the mother of triplets who found herself alone with the babies immediately after birth. This includes renting accommodation so that they remain close to the hospital until the triplets are older. ## 5. FUNDRAISING We are very grateful to all those who have supported us this year with in-kind donations and fundraising. Over 11,000 people rely on the epilepsy medication that we purchase and ship to Sierra Leone. Apart from the donated medication from the Row Foundation, we do not have a grant for these costs and the funds are generated from individual donations, cake sales and through other creative methods. We would be very grateful for donations to support this essential expenditure, as well as any support for the cancer surgeries for Persons with Albinism. Like many organisations in the voluntary sector we have seen a decline in donations as a result of COVID. We would love to hear from anyone who would like to run a marathon, hold a cake sale or organise a fundraising event for Medical Assistance Sierra Leone. We can help with publicity, materials and other support required. Our sincere thanks to everyone who has supported our work this year. Medical Assistance Sierra Leone, 31 Grove Hill, Emmer Green, Reading RG4 8PN mail@masierraleone.org.uk www.masierraleone.org.uk A C T I O N O N S P E C I A L I S T C A R E Registered Charity Number: 1105330 Medical Assistance a Leone JCf>on 1>7 .wewl #F￿ 5r9tsTr7￿"- 1st Oct 2021- 30th Sep 2022 Restricted Totsl lost year Recelpts & Payments Recelpts Donation5 Row Foundation Bart Caulker Foundatlon Souter Trust Pro-wictimis Foundation Interest other Total receipts 12.010 12.010 694 14,119 2.854 694 52,SCiI 52,5Tr) IL749 20.291 49,013 12.015 65.694 77,709 Payfflents Albinism project Cllnlc costs & nurse sponsorship Epilepsy supp)rt Fundraising & UK admln Other costs Total payments 377 1.417 3.937 19.052 256 375 25.036 3,886 3.937 11.622 250 375 17.223 7.431 52.44Z 1.164 791 58,283 7,813 Il•t rK•iptsl(payments) 15,2081 57.881 52.673 (9.270 Cash funds at last year end add net receipts/lpaymentsTr (above) Cash funds at this year end. 9.289 15.208 4.081 9,289 52.673 61,962 18.559 19,270J 9,289 57,881 57,881 Stat•m•nt of assets & lialjilities * the yèar end. Cash funds C￿r￿n¢ actounr 61,962 9,289 Slgnatuo of Trustee 27 ￿12023 Sarah Snow 27-lul-23 'Ind8pendent examine￿5 report to the trustees of Medlcal Assi6tan¢e Sierra Leo Ch8rity numbw 1106330 R￿PeCtIv• re•pongiblities ol InMloM and •yAmln•r The chw6ty's truslw are resptsmi￿e forthe weparnfjon ofthe accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not rewired fr)r th1$ under se¢l#)n 14412) of Ihe Ch*Tlies Ad 2011 (the 2011 Ac*} and that On lThJeFendwrt ex4wninairAI is r￿ded. It h my rosponsiblty to: xamlne the a¢￿￿nIS urklor section 145 clthe 2011 Ac* •to folh)w laid in the genw* Dire(*Jrns gi￿ by the ccffiml5si￿ under sect 14515}Ib) of the 2011 Act *tO State vA)ether patlojlar mattws have c