For every 100,000 live births in Bangladesh, there were 170 maternal deaths - in the UK, that figure is just above 9.

In Bangladesh, this works out to:
•    Over 5,000 mothers dying during pregnancy or childbirth per year
•    The death of over 77,000 babies each year

The loss of these lives can be traced back to the lack of skilled doctors and access to healthcare with 3 doctors for every 10,000 people. In the next few months, we are fundraising for Selfless UK, a charity that aims to address these challenges in healthcare worldwide.

Last summer, we volunteered with Selfless and travelled to Sylhet, Bangladesh for a 10 day elective. Our aim was to help provide antenatal care to 22 expectant mothers and set up health camps to provide free healthcare by local doctors and medication to 1,500+ individuals from the poorest and most underprivileged areas. Some of them walked hours to attend the clinic and some had never seen a doctor in their lifetimes.

This year, we are going again, but this time as leaders with a group of other medical students from around England. Bangladesh is our home country and some of the stories from the patients were heart breaking and they really resonated with us, so it is a cause close to our hearts.

This is where we need your help. By donating through this page, 100% of your contributions will go to providing treatment for these people in need. Here is a link to videos of the charity's past work if you’d like more information: https://vimeo.com/selflessuk or check our social media accounts for our accounts of last summer’s experiences.

Please help us raise money for this cause, it would mean a lot to us and the people we are helping!

Sincerely, Rafia and Sofia Miah