Project Abroad Ghana 2018 -Naina Aggarwal

I will be working alongside local pharmacists and doctors in hospitals and public outreach programmes in Ghana. A large part of my inspiration to do this has been through my experiences of travelling the world. As a medical professional, something that has always stuck out to me is the inequality between the healthcare available to those in the UK compared to under-developed countries. I believe that every human being is entitled to the right to live without illnesses that we have the basic technology and clinical knowledge to cure. The least I can do is help. I'm really excited and looking forward to bringing my skills and experience as a qualified pharmacist myself, to help make a difference through the exchange of medical knowledge and improving basic standards of healthcare in less privileged & under-developed communities. Significant disparities remain in Ghana between the healthcare services available to the wealthy and poor, as well as between urban and rural populations. Many people still do not have access to a basic healthcare system. As part of this mission I will be going on outreach programmes and various public health projects to help provide healthcare and medication to these vulnerable groups. Health education will be a key part of my time in Ghana to raise awareness about some of the more pressing health issues facing the country, such as Malaria and non-communicable diseases. In addition to lending my knowledge and experience, I will voluntarily be providing the local healthcare professionals with essential medical equipment that is not readily available to them, such as first aid kits, blood pressure machines etc. This will help the locals continue to deliver a greater quality of care to patients even after my departure. My overall programme mission is to enable an exchange of medical knowledge and facilitate a greater understanding of global healthcare practices. Though this will only be for a month, through empowering local communities I hope to contribute to a long-term sustainable impact of improving standards of health through awareness, prevention and treatment.