Our Impact and Results

In 2008 LHCB served the needs of women, children and families in Dumki and the surrounding villages:

• 21,026 patients were treated by the medical staff of LHCB - 15,587 in the outpatient clinic, 1113 in the hospital, and 4326 in the village mobile clinics. In addition, vaccinations for diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, tuberculosis and hepatitis were given to infants. Women ages 15-45 years received vaccination for tetanus. A total of 4245 immunizations were given in the outpatient and mobile clinics in 2008.
• 141 new Savings Groups with 2506 new members were formed in 2008.  There are now 292 Savings Groups meeting regularly with 4992 members actively contributing to the groups' funds. 2,555 group members were recipients of loans to start or continue family businesses.
• 488 group members participated in Functional Education classes and learned to read and write, to do math and simple economics, and to understand health, hygiene and human rights.
• The training of Traditional Birth Attendants(midwives) was resumed in 2008, and 96 new TBAs and another 56 experienced TBAs from the community participated in specialized training sessions conducted by LHCB nurses.

There are 2 other areas where LHCB is actively involved in helping the less fortunate in Bangladesh that are not directly funded by LHCB-USA.  The first is in providing relief for victims of sudden natural disaster through ACT International (Action by Churches Together).  In 2008 with funding through ELCA and ACT, LHCB provided relief and rehabilitation for the vicitms of Hurricane Sidr that struck in November 2007 killing thousands and leaving thousands more homeless and sick.  LHCB constructed 100 homes for these victims of the hurricane in the Madaripur District.  In addition, with other outside funding, LHCB ran the 9 month relief and rehabilitation project in the Barguna district in the southern most part of Bangladesh rebuilding roads, fish ponds and replanting rice crops.

LHCB also served the people of southern Bangladesh through the Safe Water and Arsenic Mitigation (SWAM) project that was completed in December 2008.  This project was funded by the ELCA, and a total of 272 deep tube wells were installed during the 4 year project bringing clean water to thousands of villagers.