The warm heart of Africa

Behind the warm smiles and kind greetings of the Malawian people lies a country ravaged by poverty, HIV, malaria, and abysmal maternal and infant mortality rates. It has a population estimated at over 15 million, and with one of the highest birth rates in the world the population is expected to triple in size by 2050. The health system is based around 21 district hospitals and four central hospitals, which act as tertiary referral centres. Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH), a one-thousand-bed hospital, is the centre for the central region of the country and has a catchment population of over five million people. During our time in Malawi we were afforded the opportunity to join the specialty of our choice within the hospital and we have attempted to provide insight into each.