UNC doctor moves to Malawi to help with health crisis

In 2011, Dr. Elizabeth Fitzgerald quit her job at UNC Health and moved to Malawi with her husband and three children to work at a local hospital. Shortly after, they adopted two twin boys.

"We’ve been able to do some really great things on the ground here, but the situation is dire, and it’s just not enough, and we need to do more," said Fitzgerald.

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Fitzgerald said, the South Africa variant of COVID-19 has overwhelmed hospitals.

"It really decimated the staff working in the hospitals ... Malawi definitely took a hit," she described.

Fitzgerald said the problem didn't start with COVID-19, and it certainly doesn't end there. She said she watches children die every day from simple illnesses or medical procedures because there aren't enough resources.

On a regular day there are about 300 to 400 patients and only four or five doctors.

"I see the faces of the mothers in the United States and I see the faces of the mothers in Malawi [and] they're the same," said Fitzgerald.

While there are many needs, Fitzgerald said the biggest impact would be a hospital that would serve the sickest patients, providing surgeries and post-operation care.

"We need to raise the standard of care here. It's not okay that we treat people differently based on where they are born," said Fitzgerald.