Help Dr Itikija & Dr Esther Msuya Bring Vital Care to Matuga

Itikija and Esther Msuya, dedicated doctors in Matuga, Tanzania, are on a mission to provide essential healthcare services to their community. I first met Itikija over 25 years ago when he was a bright young student of mine while I served as a high school math teacher with the U.S. Peace Corps in Tanzania. Since then, I have watched him pursue his dream of becoming a doctor, overcoming numerous challenges faced by students from rural East Africa. Itikija and Esther are now striving to fulfill another dream: establishing a clinic that offers vital maternal and neonatal healthcare to the people of Matuga.

For the past 10 years, they have witnessed the pressing healthcare needs of the 6,000 residents in Matuga, who currently lack access to a local health center. They conducted a health needs assessment and identified maternal and neonatal care as critical needs along with treatment for non-communicable diseases. Disturbingly, Tanzania's maternal death rate stands at 104 per 100,000 live births, while the neonatal death rate is 24 per 1,000. In comparison, the U.S. maternal death rate is 22 per 100,000, and the neonatal death rate is 5.6 per 1,000. Non-communicable diseases remain a critical challenge in sub-Saharan Africa due to insufficient diagnosis and care. The Msuya's vision is to establish the Kiure Health Center, a clinic that will evolve into a fully functioning hospital, providing essential services to mothers, newborns, and others in need.

The Kiure Health Center is critically needed as Matuga's residents often travel over 10 miles for basic healthcare, which is a significant burden due to lack of affordable transportation. The Kibaha district serves more than 125,000 people with only one hospital and three clinics, further highlighting the necessity of this initiative. With the new clinic, the Msuya’s aim to offer important services, including Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC) and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC). Notably, only one of the three existing clinics in Kibaha can provide CEmONC, highlighting the dire need for another facility capable of offering comprehensive care, including surgical services.

The exciting news is that the Msuya’s have already begun construction of a 13-room clinic, financed through a bank loan, and construction is nearing completion. They plan to open the clinic in January 2025, however they now face the challenge of acquiring essential equipment and supplies needed to provide quality services. Their immediate needs include hospital beds, examination and operating room equipment, sterilization supplies, and an ultrasound machine. The additional exciting news is that we have secured many of these items through a generous partnership with Chico Project SAVE, but we must raise approximately $12,000 to cover shipping and customs fees to get the donated supplies to Matuga. While this is a significant amount to raise, it will ensure the Msuya’s receive this critical equipment at a fraction of its retail cost. Our goal is to raise the funds and ship the supplies by January 31.

Our family has known Itikija and Esther for many years, and we are continually inspired by their commitment to improving community health. We invite you to join us in supporting their incredible work. Your generous donation will go directly towards these essential shipping costs and customs fees, playing a crucial role in saving lives in Matuga. Together, we can make a lasting impact on thousands of lives. Please donate today and be part of this transformative journey. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.

Note - If you prefer to make a donation directly to Chico Project SAVE for tax purposes, please use the yellow Donate button on their home page and designate your donation to the "Kiure Clinic Project."