This year, Samaritan Aviation operated its fifth immunization clinic in the village of Paliagui. This successfully completed the final round of our preventative initiative to catch up early childhood vaccine schedules in that area. In 2017, after learning of several districts that had been without vaccines for nearly a decade, we marked three remote areas and took up the challenge. Since then we have carried out 12 rural clinics; five of these outreaches were in Paliagui, including four full immunization clinics and one emergency clinic set up during a whooping cough outbreak.

Now operating two floatplanes, we were able to fly out seven team members and ample supplies for this last outreach, vaccinating 249 babies against ten life-threatening diseases. We also brought along CHS Health Extension Officer Julianne Gumbat who saw 150 patients with suspected malaria. Over a third of these patients tested positive and were given a full course of treatment.

Our staff also provided prenatal and infant health education to 27 expectant mothers from the area. Hundreds of people from several nearby villages gathered as we taught basic health concepts of germs, where they

come from, and how they are spread. Many believe that illness is often the result of a curse or an angered spirit. We shared a clear gospel message and reiterated that because Christ conquered death and rose again, we don’t have to live in darkness and fear.

All in all, well over 400 lives have been affected by this latest outreach alone, and multiple communities have been physically and spiritually impacted. “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14