Alice Holmes is a Clinical Nurse Specialist at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH). Drawing on her experience and expertise as a paediatric nurse, in November she joined a week-long visit to Malawi to deliver ear and hearing care to remote communities. Here Alice shares her motivation for participating in the project and the valuable lessons she learned along the way.
“I have a deep love for Africa and global health. My first experience in Africa was during an elective in Malawi in 1989 with the Malawi Against Polio Trust. Over the years, I’ve followed the work of Cambridge Global Health Partnerships, waiting for the right time and the right project to get involved in.
The Malawi Hearing Project aims to provide ear and hearing assessments and care to young people in rural areas. It’s a collaboration with the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital’s audiology team in Blantyre and a Malawian charity called Anzathu. The project includes hearing loss assessments, the delivery of antibiotic ear drops/ointment for ear infections, and, where needed, the fitting of suitable hearing devices.
A standout feature of the project is the use of bone conduction headsets with solar-powered charging. These headsets are a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative to battery-powered devices, which are expensive, difficult to source, and have a shorter lifespan.
As a paediatric nurse, my primary responsibilities during the week-long visit included general assessments, history taking, health promotion and education, obtaining informed consent from participants, and supporting the creation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the project partners.
I contributed the most value through my paediatric nursing skills, combined with my project planning, management, and leadership expertise.
It was a privilege to work with such a dynamic, multidisciplinary team. Being adaptable and taking a pragmatic approach allowed us to deliver the best care we could in very different circumstances and with large patient numbers.
Throughout the project, I met some incredible individuals who shared similar goals. I also developed my ‘can-do’ approach and learnt some basic sign language skills along the way.
There was a particularly memorable moment when I asked a child their name, and the teacher responded, ‘no name.’ I was taken aback, and the teacher explained, ‘he hasn’t been with us long!’ (The child attended a school for the deaf).
I am hopeful that our visit will have a lasting impact on ear and hearing healthcare in Malawi, and that further visits, along with ongoing monitoring by our project partners, will assess the compliance and developmental benefits of the headsets provided.
In the UK, these headsets could also be more widely used for managing glue ear hearing loss as an alternative to grommet surgery.
I would strongly recommend global health work to my peers. It provides a unique insight into different healthcare systems and highlights the importance of adaptability in addressing local needs.”
Find out more about the Malawi Hearing Project or contact us at info@cghp.org.uk
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