We are currently raising funds for our latest project, which is to build a dedicated children’s hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Africa as a whole suffers from a dire lack of dedicated paediatric facilities, with only FOUR such hospitals on the continent – 2 in Cairo, 1 in Nairobi and 1 in Cape Town. These serve a population of nearly 450 million children and the current levels of paediatric service is overwhelmed by the demand for health services with extremely long waiting times. This compares dismally to the 23 children’s hospitals in Canada, 19 in Australia and 20 in Germany. Children comprise 43% of the South African population which is approximately 20.8 million children. Statistics show that there are 20 deaths per 1000 children born each year. In comparison, the UK, USA and Germany’s rate is 8 per 1000 or less. The predominant cause of death in the 5 to 15 year age group is road traffic accidents. This is coupled with other causes of death, such as drowning and homicide/violence. HIV Aids is the leading cause of deaths of children under 5 years old.

The hospital will comprise a 200 bed, 8 theatre facility and be located in Johannesburg, Gauteng – South Africa’s most densely populated province. It will also function as an academic medical centre affiliated to medical schools internationally. The hospital will employ over 655 staff including specialist doctors and nurses, and offering training across the nursing spectrum, including healthcare workers. It is Mr Mandela’s wish to offer the children of Africa a state of the art hospital, where no child will be turned away due to the inability to pay.

It is the one place where the legacy of Mr Mandela and his love of children will exist in the daily life of a child.