Over decades Africa has seen its academia and intellectual elite leave the continent for work abroad. Sadly, almost all fail to return. This ‘brain drain' has always gripped skilled health workers more than any other profession and the facts are sobering.
- The World Health Organisation estimates that 23,000 health workers leave Africa annually and that now only 800,000 remain.
- In Zimbabwe, three-quarters of doctors emigrate within a few years of graduation
- The number of doctors from Ghana now registered in UK has more than doubled between 1999 to 2004
- There are more Malawian doctors working in Manchester, UK than in the whole of Malawi.
- Each year Malawi trains 60 nurses but loses 100, many to UK.
The list goes on and on. Recognising this problem, the Commission for Africa in 2005, chaired by the then Prime Minister for UK , Tony Blair called for an extra 1 million health workers to be trained by 2015.
The trustees of Africa Heart Foundation are part of the healthcare academia that left Africa to work in UK . But, unlike most, they have pledged to return and share their expert skills in the provision of surgical, nursing, administrative and allied medical services through Africa Heart Foundation. In line with the Commission for Africa targets, Africa Heart Foundation has realised that a key solution to the continent's healthcare crises is training and awareness. This has therefore become the over riding aim and mission of the organisation.
The first meeting for Africa Heart Foundation was held in Sheffield, UK, March 7th 2007. At this inaugural meeting the vision for providing free or subsidised healthcare, and raising awareness of cardiac disease in sub-Saharan Africa was presented. Present Board of Trustees are
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Enos Akunda - The Chairman,
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Pastor Benson Mbure - Secretary
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Olivia Godia - Treasurer
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Esther Seka - Trustees
The vision was shared immediately and passionately and with the support of other trustees Africa Heart Foundation was born.