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Immunisation team collects unused needles to send to Africa

InterCare team.jpgThe Children and Family Health Surrey Immunisation team is collecting unused needles for the charity InterCare to send to health centres in sub-Saharan Africa.

Based in the UK, InterCare collects surplus medical equipment and medicines and sends regular consignments to health units in sub-Saharan Africa. They support around 100 health units across Sierra Leone, Ghana, Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania.

Rebecca Woodhouse, Senior Immunisation Nurse said “We don’t need the orange needles that come in our vaccines and as such they would ordinarily be disposed of. As a team we save them up and  one of our nurses then sends them to Intercare who send them to Africa. Supporting this charity in this way feels very worthwhile.”

The latest donations from the team were received in May and were allocated to a container that was due to be shipped to Sierra Leone in late spring.

InterCare sent thanks to the team saying, “We were very grateful to receive the large parcel containing an assortment of needles – all of which will be extremely useful to our partner health units in Africa.”

To find out more including how you can help please, please visit the InterCare website.