Now a qualified doctor, Hannah spent four weeks travelling to rural communities in Zambia, in June 2017 as part of the Cradle Zambia project.  The main objective of the trip was to deliver and disseminate a simple life-saving device, called the CRADLE Vital Sign Alert (VSA), to rural hospitals and clinics across Zambia.  This device detects signs of maternal complications in pregnancy, such as pre-eclampsia and sepsis.  Early identification and treatment of these conditions can significantly reduce the risk of maternal mortality.

The CRADLE research team, which Hannah has been involved with for a number of years, had already established relationships with tertiary hospitals in Zambia during trials of the device, however, the devices had largely been distributed to urban populations.  Hannah, displaying excellent leadership skills and social responsibility, identified that it would also be beneficial to distribute the devices to rural populations where early detection is even more critical and frequently not available.

Hannah successfully led this project from conception through to completion, with the support of the CRADLE research team and Higginson Leadership Award.  This project has left a definitive lasting legacy in Zambia and Hannah is now working on the development of a stand-alone training package for the device, which draws on her in-country experience.

“I am grateful to Queens University Belfast for making the Higginson Leadership Award available, for without it this project would surely not have been possible.”

Hannah Anderson-Knight, 2017 Higginson Leadership Award Recipient