Australian leading NGO donates medical supplies to North Malaita clinics in partnership with TARD

One of the leading non governmental organisations (NGO) in Australia, known as the Australian Foundation for the Peoples of Asia and the Pacific (AFAP), has generously donated a consignment of medical supplies to seven rural health centres in North Malaita in partnership with the To'abaita Authority for Research & Development (TARD) student volunteer group.

According to confirmation from Solomons AFAP Country Manager, Mr Luke Johnston, the container of medical supplies has been loaded on a ship that left Brisbane on Friday last week and is expected to arrive in Honiara on May 15 2007.

The seven health centres in North Malaita that will benefit from this assistance include Arao and Sulagwalu clinics in the Lau/Baelelea Constituency and Fo'ondo, Bita'ama, Gwaiau, Orukalia, and Malu'u clinics in the North Malaita Constituency.

This request was initiated by TARD earlier this year and channeled through the Solomons' AFAP office in Honiara which then forwarded the proposal to the AFAP Headquaters in Sydney. This assistance is made available under the Medical Supplies and Services program of AFAP.

Once the container is cleared through Customs in Honiara, supplies will be transported to North Malaita for distribution in mid June.

TARD is adament that this project will further enhance the service delivery at the beneficiary clinics as four of the clinics (Malu'u, Bita'ama, Fo'ondo & Gwaiau) have also benefited from a forty box of medical supplies donation from the Medical Aid Abroad New Zealand late last year under TARD.

TARD is therefore grateful to the AFAP, on behalf of the North Malaita people for this generous assistance as well as covering the shipping costs from Australia to Honiara and ensuring to meet the Customs clearance costs in Honiara.