Pediatric Care Africa

18/08/2025

06/08/2025

Keeping out of mischief!

With 2 surgeries pending, sick children around every corner and 2 major outreach events looming, we are definitely kept busy with no time for mischief.

Our upcoming events are a medical outreach to an isolated area called Klaarstroom with their nearest Government Doctor about 50km away and transport a major problem for most inhabitants. This medical outreach is scheduled for the 23rd August and our very first malaria prevention outreach is scheduled to commence on the 3rd of September and will be for parts of Limpopo and parts of Mpumalanga, where malaria is a real life danger to children living in certain areas.
A malaria prevention care packet consists of the following and will be distributed by Pediatric Care Africa to persons directly and not through third parties:
6 months’ supply for a family of 6 persons with a mosquito repellent to put on the physical body containing DEET (diethyltoluamide)
Chemically treated Bell shape mosquito netting for over beds x 3.
“Permethrin” for chemical treatment of clothing, mosquito nets, curtains, sleeping bags and other fabrics to repel mosquitos. (1 litre)
Educational booklet in the local language with illustrations for illiterate persons x 1

Bite avoidance measures is our aim, as prevention is better than cure every time….!

28/07/2025

25/07/2025

20/07/2025

Pediatric Care Africa is tans besig met ’n projek om komberse en beddegoed vir huishoudings en kinders in die Klein Karoo in te samel.“Dit het onder ons aandag gekom dat daar ongelooflik baie huishoudings is wat min tot geen beddegoed besit nie, en slegs in hul klere slaap,” vertel Dr…

19/07/2025

Thumb duplication surgery!!

We received a little boy with a double thumb of his left hand that was referred to us for assistance. The medical term for a baby born with a double thumb, or an extra thumb on one or both hands, is thumb duplication or pre-axial polydactyly. Polydactyly, in general, refers to the presence of extra fingers or toes. When it specifically affects the thumb, it's often called thumb duplication or pre-axial polydactyl

Thumb duplication, is one of the more common congenital hand conditions. About one out of every 1,000 babies has this condition. It affects boys more often than girls.

We are arranging for the little boy to be seen by a Orthopaedic surgeon with extensive experience in hand reconstruction surgery.

Thumb polydactyly reconstruction aims to create a single, functional, and cosmetically acceptable thumb from a duplicated thumb by removing the less desirable thumb and reconstructing the remaining one. This involves careful assessment, surgical techniques to address bone, soft tissue, and joint issues, and meticulous postoperative care.

If you can not help 100 children, then help one!

17/07/2025

Blanket drive against freezing temperatures!

At Pediatric Care Africa we are appealing for blanket and bedding donations as many families have either too few or no blankets to protect them against the very cold winter temperatures, with more cold fronts predicted.

Areas in desperate need for blankets are as follows.

Oudtshoorn, Blomnek, Klaarstroom,Calitzdorp and Prince Albert in the Western cape

We need to collect at least 300 baby and normal blankets to be able to assist the persons in need that we have identified so far.

Larger blanket donations can be collected by us from a donor and fully qualify for a 18A Tax certificate to reclaim your donation from your Tax, and small quantities can be dropped at the offices of Die Hoorn newspaper in Oudtshoorn or at our offices at no 3 Le Roux str De Rust.

Our office no is: 0762295663
info@pediatriccareafrica.org
www.pediatriccareafrica.org

11/07/2025

Cold weather health issues!

Due to the cold winter weather we are kept very busy with common winter illnesses in children include respiratory infections like colds, flu (influenza), and pneumonia, as well as gastrointestinal issues like rotavirus and norovirus infections, which can cause diarrhoea and vomiting. Additionally, ear infections are also prevalent, often triggered by respiratory illnesses.

There is a marked increase in the need for blankets and warm clothing, partly due to the many cold fronts hitting South Africa with more cold fronds on the way and increasing poverty and ever rising unemployment.

We are in rather desperate need of warm blankets for babies, children and adults, so if any person or company can donate clean blankets to us for distribution to persons in need, please donate to us if you can.

All Companies that are willing to donate blankets to us, qualify for a 18A Tax certificate for the value of the blankets donated.

Keep warm and stay healthy!

17/06/2025

Seeking answers!

One of our patients this week was a 2 year old boy with a history of dissociative neurodevelopment.

A 24 hour EEG was done and completed on this little boy to exclude or confirm possible epileptic encephalopathy like Landau Kleffner, CSWES, and other infant and juvenile epilepsy syndromes that often presents with no motor manifestations.

Accurate diagnosis in young children is crucial for several reasons: it enables timely and appropriate interventions, helps tailor treatment plans, and provides clarity for both the child and their family. Early diagnosis allows for interventions that can significantly improve outcomes, especially for conditions that may impact development, learning, and social-emotional well-being.

This young boy is being treated and cared for by Dr Louw, a renowned Paediatrician at Kiaat Private Hospital in Nelspruit and his 24hour EEG was conducted by Peet Vermaak a clinical Neurophysiologist in Nelspruit (SleepClinic Nelspruit).

Thank you very much Dr Louw and Peet Vermaak for taking such great care of this little man, we appreciate you.

07/06/2025

A bit of information about us!

Since our inception in 2017:

• 2193 sick children were taken by us to private medical doctors and or specialists for examination and treatment.

• 7350 sick children and adults received free medical examinations and medical treatment from us during our medical outreach programs.

• 193 children received free surgeries from us.

• We have provided 511 000 kg (2.2 million meals) in food parcels to people in food distress and due to disasters and the Covid 19 pandemic.

• We provided an estimated 7243 1.8kg tins of baby formula and 9098 packets of baby porridge to babies whose parents could not buy their own baby food because of job loss and other circumstances.

• We have distributed 102 000 doses of Cholera medication in flood-stricken areas in Mozambique to help prevent a Cholera outbreak.

• We assisted during the following disasters: Cyclone IDAI in Mozambique, Cyclone Eloise in Limpopo, the Covid 19 pandemic and the veld fire disaster in Hertzogville/Boshof area in the Free State.

• In 2023 we developed a Pediatric Surgical unit at Rob Ferreira Hospital in Nelspruit which serves as a referral centre for children from across Mpumalanga.

• In May 2024 we developed a state-of-the-art burns unit incorporated in this Pediatric Surgical ward at Rob Ferreira Hospital in Nelspruit, complete with Isolation facilities, stainless steel bath etc. and it also has its own self-contained and separate occupational therapy and physio therapy unit for the rehabilitation of severely burned children.

09/05/2025

Come and join us today from 10h in the Banquet hall at the Municipal building in Oudtshoorn!!

02/05/2025

OUDTSHOORN NUUS - Dr. André...