By Harry Goldhagen, Editor
In our earlier profile of Dr. Paul Law, we described his remarkable family legacy in Sankuru Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is his personal mission, as the region’s only pediatrician, to bring immunizations and basic health care to one of the most remote and impoverished communities on earth. Since then, the project he launched has grown considerably.
The Esther Project, named for its first patient, baby Esther (who is now a healthy two-year-old), has immunized more than 1,000 children in one health area. They are expanding into a second area, where another 400 have already been vaccinated.
The project now protects an estimated 2,500 children a year, and not a moment too soon: a measles epidemic is gaining momentum in the region, and Dr. Law is racing to reach as many children as possible.
The work goes well beyond measles. Dr. Law and his colleagues are tackling malaria on multiple fronts, distributing bed nets, vaccinating children, and treating those who are already sick. Because the malaria vaccine requires four doses to be effective, the team uses careful tracking and accountability systems to ensure children complete the full series.
As noted in the original article, one of the most heartbreaking obstacles to care is financial. A consultation fee of just one dollar can prevent a family from accessing free malaria testing and treatment, with sometimes fatal results. The Esther Fund, now a formal 501(c)3 nonprofit, steps in to bridge these gaps. Comprehensive preventive care can be provided for roughly $10 per child per year; for a seriously ill child needing hospital care, $150 can cover everything.
To understand just how difficult it is to deliver that care, watch Ride for Survival: The Esther Project, a documentary filmed by photographers Jason and Chris of Moto Photo Adventures, who accompanied Dr. Law and colleagues on a 1,000-kilometer motorcycle journey through the jungle to reach remote health centers. The roads are brutal, the distances vast, and children like the one described in the video, a two-and-a-half-year-old with severe malarial anemia, are waiting at the end of them.
To donate to the Esther Fund or learn more, visit sankuru.org/esthercare.
Related Articles
In DRC, a Vaccination Campaign Is a Chance to Find Missed-out Children
Amid a combined measles-rubella and polio vaccination campaign, health workers in remote districts sought out the children who had fallen through the system’s cracks, and offered them a few more doses of safety. From Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
How a Peer Network is Mobilising Against Bundibugyo Virus in DRC and Uganda
As a rare strain of Ebola spreads in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, health workers and responders in affected communities are activating an established peer-learning network to bolster their response. From Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Facing a New Ebola Threat, A Goma Clinic Steps Up
The Jericho Road Wellness Clinic in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, will receive $2.5 million in personal protective gear, medication, and supplies from Direct Relief. A significant number of these items will be used to protect staff and treat patients at a district Ebola containment center.