Project mission

Help Launch the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland's (RCSI's) First Student-Led Global Health Initiative in Malawi

In the southern lakeside district of Mangochi, Malawi, access to health care and HIV prevention is beginning to shrink. Following the shutdown of USAID, Malawi, a country where USAID previously covered ~13% of the national budget (1), is facing a public health crisis. Clinics are understaffed, supplies have run dry, and vital HIV prevention programs like PrEP have been slowed. For communities like Mangochi, this will have devastating consequences. As it stands children are diagnosed with HIV without proper support, teenagers go without proper medication and some community members must travel to the capital to learn about basic sexual health information.

In the words of Mona Lisa, a resident of Malawi:

"Just a few days ago, I had a conversation with a 7-year-old girl who lives down the road. She has HIV, but she doesn’t want to take her HIV medications anymore. I didn’t know how to tell her she needs to keep taking her medications."

This is where you can help us make a difference.... 

Our Vision

We are a group of passionate student leaders at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), working to establish RCSI’s first-ever student-led global health initiative. This work is supported by Ann Piercy, a native of Malawi and coordinator for HIV Ireland, in addition to global health experts Dr. Pittalis and Dr. Gajewski, who have experience leading groups such as SURG-Africa, COST-Africa, kidSURG and Akazi. Together we aim to support communities in Malawi while empowering students with ethical and immersive experiences in global health.

With your support, we are sending a group of RCSI students to Malawi this summer, 2026. These students will work closely with local hospitals, universities and community leaders. They will work with Malawi's most urgent public health challenges and maintain a foundation for for long-term collaboration.

This is just the beginning. Over the coming years we hope to develop a longterm program open to all RCSI students (medical, dental, physiotherapy, pharmacy and physician associates) offering education, fieldwork, and sustainable partnerships with Malawi-based institutions.

Why This Matters For Malawi

• Students will assist operations at Mulibwanji Hospital by:

  • • Supporting clinical tasks

    • Reducing staff workload

    • Assisting with hospital maintenance

    • Engaging in community outreach efforts

• RCSI students will contribute to health universities in Malawi. This may include RCSI students...

  • • Exchanging medical knowledge such as mental health first aid

• Students may support projects including 

  • • Under-five clinics, providing preventative and curative care for children under the age of five.

    • Sustainable nutrition financing, targeting Malawi's triple burden of malnutrition (3)

      • Stunting affects 36% of children under five in Malawi

      • Micronutrient deficiencies, especially anemia, affect 30–33% of children, adolescents and women

      • Undernutrition and nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are rising and increasing mortality

• Students will raise funds to support local medical needs, including:

  • • General hospital supplies

    • Medications such as HIV PreP

    • Menstrual hygiene kits

    • Nutritional supplements (e.g., oral rehydration solutions)

• Students may assist Dr. Jakub Gajewski and Dr. Chiara Pittalis with future iterations of the project and research, by collecting data to support public health efforts in Malawi.

Why This Matters For Students

• Students will gain real-world global health experience through direct involvement in care and education

• Students will collaborate with local medical students and professionals, fostering cross-cultural exchange

• Students will participate in:

  • Project design

  • Data collection

  • Fundraising initiatives

  • On-the-ground implementation of health projects

• Students will attend academic courses in Malawi to...

  • Learn about healthcare in Malawi

  • Develop an understanding of Malawi’s healthcare system

• Students will learn essential skills in:

  • Ethical global health engagement

  • Cultural competency

  • Health system navigation in low-resource settings

 Project Supervisors