MyGlasgow News

Five healthcare clinics in Africa, founded by UofG staff almost 30 years ago, have now treated over 1.6 million children.

“The St Andrew’s Clinics for Children (STACC) have provided primary healthcare to some of the poorest communities in Africa,” says Professor John Briggs, Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Geographical & Earth Sciences, and Chair of the Board of Directors, “and both the healthcare itself and the provision of prescribed medication are free at the point of delivery.”

Currently, five clinics are supported – one each in Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana and two in Uganda – and there are plans to support a further clinic in Malawi. Almost 95% of all the funds raised are transferred directly to the African clinics to support their activities, and the STACC Board empowers the directors and staff of the clinics to take their own managerial and operational decisions, based on the premise that locally based staff on the ground are better placed to make such decisions than directors based in Scotland.

“The University has a long tradition of working with African colleagues on key social, health, economic and environmental challenges dating back to the 1950s and continuing to this day,” says Professor Briggs. “There is an explicit STACC principle in that our partners in Africa possess the requisite expertise, skills and knowledge to staff their clinics successfully.”

The most common health complaints treated at the clinics are malaria infections, intestinal disorders and upper respiratory tract infections. In addition, all the clinics provide nutritional advice and support for children and have active campaigns of providing bed nets to prevent mosquito bites whilst children are sleeping.

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STACC is run by volunteers to help keep running costs low – around £120,000 a year is needed for STACC to maintain its current activities. Find out more on how to donate. 

First published: 12 March 2021