It is perhaps a bit odd to associate the well-known Hollywood star Brad Pitt with the dire need of proper healthcare for mothers and their babies. But, once you research more about Pitt’s initiatives towards the uplifting of humanity in general, you will get a better picture of his kind-heartedness.   

“Let us be the ones who say we do not accept that a child dies every three seconds simply because he does not have the drugs you and I have. Let us be the ones to say we are not satisfied that your place of birth determines your right for life. Let us be outraged, let us be loud, let us be bold.” – Brad Pitt.

On a local level, the North-West University’s (NWU) School of Nursing can identify with Pitt’s initiatives, and has collaborated with a non-profit organisation to lay a solid foundation for the establishment of better healthcare for mothers, infants and children in central South Africa.

Through a collaborative approach with like-minded stakeholders, which will include pooling of skills and resources to help bridge the healthcare gap that currently exists, the Mother and Child Academic Hospital (MACAH) Foundation was established in Bloemfontein.

It strives to bring much-needed world-class healthcare to mothers and children in the heart of South Africa.

According to the foundation’s project coordinator, Tertia de Bruin, the foundation will be a sustainable vehicle, which will raise funds in support of maternal and paediatric needs/services, as well as support academic excellence for medical professionals.

“Beyond interim priority initiatives, we ultimately aim to pioneer the first dedicated mother and child academic hospital serving central South Africa, but we cannot do it alone,” she says. “We need help in the form of academic support and research, clinical partnerships, fundraising, products and services from our stakeholders. We are therefore very privileged to have the NWU’s School of Nursing on board in order to make this dream a reality.”

Prof Welma Lubbe, a senior researcher at the NWU, says the school is overjoyed to be able to grab the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of mothers and children. “The aim of research is not only to be published in academic journals, but more importantly, to be made available where it is needed most.

“We therefore have an obligation to support such an initiative that fights for the ones who cannot fight for themselves. We see ourselves as a vehicle of support towards MACAH and the various projects that they take on,” she says. 

The MACAH Foundation has also reached out to the Klerksdorp Hospital with the involvement of nursing services directors Sr Mohapi and Sr Nzondo from the neonatal ICU, and Sr Maiketso from the paediatric ward. Also involved will be the Department of Paediatrics with Dr O Mekgoe as HOD, Dr E Verster, paediatrician, who will assist as mentor, together with Dr Bodiba, also a paediatrician. Mr Nico Mosiou, as the PRO of the hospital, will also play an integral part in this initiative.

Sr Lisa Springer was nominated by the MACAH Foundation to be the initial coordinator for the Klerksdorp/Potchefstroom areas, and then later to roll out this initiative to local clinics and other hospitals. As areas of need are identified, projects to address these needs will be initiated and implemented on a basis that carries the acknowledgement and approval of all parties involved, to reach the ultimate aim of improvement of mother and child outcomes in our settings and surroundings.

The MACAH Foundation has already identified three initiatives in which the NWU can play a vital role:

The Children’s Wing Project: Smaller projects in support of the immediate needs of mothers, infants and children, as well as our staff, in the current facilities.

The Free State Mother and Child Academic Hospital: The ultimate purpose of this project is the establishment of a free-standing, independent mother and child academic hospital in central South Africa.

Make the first 1 000 days count campaign: The first 1 000 days of life – from conception to age two – is a critical period during which children’s brains can form as many as 1 000 neural connections every second, a once-in-a-lifetime pace that will never be repeated during their lifetime. In conditions of poverty and attendant malnutrition, this foundation is significantly weakened, resulting in, among other things, irreversible damage to children’s brain development, poor growth, and compromised immunity.

It is the involvement of the Carl and Emily Fuchs Foundation that enabled the establishment of the Mother and Child Academic Hospital (MACAH) Foundation.

 Here are Lisa Springer, (MACAH North-West coordinator), Prof Welma Lubbe (NWU) and Tertia de Bruin (project coordinator MACAH Foundation), during the announcement of collaboration between the NWU and the Mother and Child Academic Hospital Foundation.