4 N A T I O N A L N U R S E W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G M A R C H | A P R I L 2 0 1 8
MINNESOTA
A
group of Minnesota nurses from
the African Nurses United group,
in partnership with African
Community Health Initiative,
made life immeasurably better for residents
of a rural fishing community in Ghana, West
Africa this past February. African Nurses
United (ANU) is a local organization origi-
nally formed by a few United Hospital nurs-
es of African descent to support its members
professionally, which evolved into commu-
nity work in Minnesota and medical
missions to the African continent.
Five representatives of ANU, who are also
Minnesota Nurses Association RNs from
United Hospital in St. Paul, made a two-
week medical mission trip to
Agbozume, a
rural fishing village with
no access to health-
care and many people living in poverty.
RNs Queen Obasi, Stefanie Asante-
Totimeh, Kate Reeves-Mason, Caroline
Mougoue Jackson, and Mavis Antwi
provided medical assessments, health
education, equipment, and resources for
community residents. Their goal was to
help people during the mission and
provide strategies for long-term health
maintenance.
The nurses worked with a local non-
governmental organization (NGO) that
provided nurses and doctors and saw people
with serious chronic illnesses who had no
access to medical care because they couldn't
afford it. In Ghana, as with much of Africa,
healthcare is cash based, so people with few
resources cannot get the healthcare they need.
Diabetes and hypertension are two of the
most chronic health issues in Ghana. The
Minnesota nurses helped a very ill 21-year-old
suffering the debilitating effects of diabetes.
NEWS BRIEFS
RNs are health ambassadors and
advocates in Ghana medical mission
