Honoured for Malawi work

A LOCAL woman has received the 'Strathclyder of the Year' award from the University of Glasgow.
Dr Tracy Morse has been recognised for her outstanding contribution to the health and lives of women and children in Malawi as Project Manager of the University's Scotland Chikwawa Health Initiative.

The scheme is funded by the Scottish Government to improve maternal health and drive down infant mortality rates in four villages in Southern Malawi where poverty has led to widescale health problems.

Around four in ten children die before the age of five – most commonly from malaria and diarrhoea - and one in six mothers die in childbirth.

The initiative involves the rebuilding and re-equipping of rural clinics, retraining of traditional birthing attendants, health staff and volunteers, provision of mosquito nets, improvements to water supplies and sanitation, and the provision of bicycle ambulances to improve health access as well as emergency response to natural disasters.

Many lives were saved when in February this year sudden floods hit Chikwawa, which swept away more than half the houses. Thousands of destitute people were helped when Dr Morse organised the immediate despatch of four lorry loads containing medicines, food, mosquito nets, building materials and water purification tablets.

Dr Morse, who is originally from the Inverurie area, said: "It was a total surprise to win the award, but a very nice one. It has also been a great opportunity to come back to Scotland to visit colleagues, family and friends.

"We try hard to work with our colleagues in Malawi and Scotland to ensure long standing health improvements within the programme, and to have that recognised is great. The award really goes to all those involved and shows that in today's society, we are finally recognising the need for preventative health and environmental health in addressing mortality and morbidity."

Dr Peter West, Secretary to the University and Chairman of the Scotland-Malawi Partnership, presented Dr Morse with her award.

He said: "The new partnership between Scotland and Malawi has grown directly out of the Strahclyde Malawi Millennium Project. It would never have developed as it has without the huge personal contribution of Dr Tracy Morse, and it is entirely fitting that she should be our Strathclyder of the Year."

Dr Morse is also the Malawi-based co-ordinator of all the activities of the University's Malawi Millennium Project. This involves organising and delivering Strathclyde's support to orphanages and Malawi Polytechnic, overseeing the building of a house for the Chief Nurse at Chikwawa Hospital, and coordinating the increasing number of visits to the country by Strathclyde students.

The Strathclyder of the Year Cup is an annual award made to a member of University staff who has made an outstanding contribution to society.