Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi, celebrated the opening of its pediatric laboratory with a November 14, 2019 ceremony. The collaborative project was led by Elizabeth Fitzgerald, MD, a pediatric emergency medicine specialist, with support from UNC Project-Malawi and funding from the Malawi Children’s Initiative. Rob Krysiak, MS, co-director of the UNC Project Malawi laboratory, provided valuable technical and logistical support.
Kamuzu Central Hospital is the main referral center for Malawi’s central region and admits as many as 25,000 children per year. The new lab will provide multiple serum studies, microscopy, and CSF analysis to significantly improve the standard of care for the hospital’s pediatric patients while improving the education of Malawian medical trainees by improving diagnostic capability.
The ceremony was attended by Malawi Principle Secretary of Health Dr. Charles Mwansambo, Hospital Director Dr. Jonathon Ngoma, and Pediatrics Head Dr. Msandeni Chiume. Krysiak and Debbie Kamwembo, MS, associate country director for UNC Project, also attended.
Fitzgerald’s work in Malawi is supported in part by the UNC Department of Pediatrics, where she serves as director of pediatric global health; SEED Global Health; and PACHIMAKE, a consortium of institutions committed to improving care at Kamuzu Central.