Zambia

Established: 2006
Specialty: Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery and Neurosurgery
Number of Doctors: 4
Number of Nurses: 16
Number of Beds: 61

In 2004, CURE International signed an agreement with the Zambian Ministry of Health to establish and operate a pediatric teaching hospital specializing in the treatment and care of children living with physical disabilities. The Beit Trust, a UK-based charity, provided $1.5 million to support construction of the hospital as a centennial gift to the people of Zambia. The Zambian government donated a 60-acre plot of land for the hospital site.

A truly memorable grand opening ceremony took place on December 12, 2006 in Lusaka. More than 400 people attended the ceremony, including First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa, CURE Co-Founder, Sally Harrison, Sir Alan Monro, Chairman of the Beit Trust, Zambia's Minister of Health, Angela Cifire, as well as several other Ministers and Ministry of Health Directors. The celebration included opening prayer, the singing of the Zambian National Anthem, beautiful performances by two children's choirs and the Maureen Mwanawasa Women's Choir, and speeches by some of the dignitaries present. A ribbon cutting ceremony, tours of the hospital and refreshments followed the program.

The Beit Trust CURE International Hospital of Zambia is one of the few hospitals of in Zambia that will be able to adequately address the surgical needs of the disabled children in the country. The hospital campus is comprised of six buildings, housing 45 patient beds in the children's ward and 16 beds in the private patients ward. The hospital also houses a chapel and spiritual center, three operating theaters, an outpatient clinic, an administrative building and a general services building. Services at the hospital will be focused on pediatric orthopedics, neurosurgery and reconstructive plastic surgery.

Partnership with Smile Train

Since the fall of 2006, in collaboration with Smile Train, CURE has developed cleft lip and cleft palate surgical training programs in most of CURE's hospitals worldwide. These programs have been piloted in Afghanistan, Zambia and the Dominican Republic. Across these locations, CURE will train 20 surgeons in the correction of cleft lip/palate surgery each year.

Zambia Hip Replacement Program

Although the core mission of CURE hospitals is to provide care for disabled children, in some cases the hospitals also provide additional services. In Zambia and Ethiopia, CURE's medical training programs perform some adult reconstruction cases, giving valuable education to the doctors and life-changing surgery for the patients. Stryker has agreed to provide these two hospitals with instruments and 100 implants per year, however, even with the donated prosthesis, the complete cost of the procedure is far more than the average patient in these countries can afford. Would you consider a donation to CURE International for the Africa Hip Project? Imagine what it means to a disabled Zambian or Ethiopian, who never thought in his or her wildest dreams it would ever be possible.