Health care challenges in sub-Saharan Africa

By Julie Mad-Bondo

I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a Happy Easter!

It should come as no surprise that health care is one of the significant challenges for many people in developing countries. This is especially true in the Central African Republic (CAR), which is still struggling to recover from eight years of war that devastated countless families.

I have traveled to the CAR many times and have witnessed how the lack of meaningful health care affects people, especially women and children. I realized that doing any ministry would necessitate some medical outreach.

A meaningful partnership

I recently shared about our new partnership with Three Strands, a medical center that delivers compassionate care.

This partnership answered our prayers for these struggling women and families. Your faithful support has enabled JHC to strengthen this medical center, located in Bangui, CAR. Now, they can deliver better medical care to impact numerous lives.

So far:

• 76 women have delivered babies safely without any complications

• 6 of these babies were born prematurely

• 6 babies were born through C-section

With a strengthened medical facility, Three Strands was able to host several medical doctors from the U.S. earlier this year. These physicians volunteered their skills and successfully performed 47 hernia surgeries in one week! Patients had been suffering with these health problems for many years. JHC’s generous donors helped provide the medical equipment and other supplies the doctors used.

Physical and spiritual care

Ursula, one of the child mothers in our program, was recently taken to this clinic. She delivered a healthy baby boy thanks to the competent and caring medical staff.

But the spiritual condition of their patients is just as important to Three Strands. Each day, there is a time of prayer and devotion before medical consultations and procedures. Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with patients is an integral part of the care the clinic provides.

Before JHC’s partnership with Three Strands, this medical center already had a reputation as a Christ-centered ministry serving underprivileged patients. But by forging partnerships with other like-minded ministries such as JHC, they are able to help even more marginalized people. I am grateful to our donors who allow us to be part of rebuilding lives in the heart of Africa for our Lord and Savior’s glory.