We are pleased to post the article recently written for the West Briton:

THREE Royal Cornwall Hospital doctors have set out on a 12,000-mile fundraising road trip from Perranporth to South Africa.

The trio left the resort in their 20-year-old Land Rover on October 8 heading east through central and eastern Europe to Turkey, before entering Egypt and negotiating the eastern coast of Africa.

The trio aim to report on the health beliefs of the countries through which they travel by way of a series of short documentaries, as well as an online blog.

ON THE ROAD: Royal Cornwall Hospital doctors, from left, Richard Wain-Hobson, Sebastian Wallace and Daniel Nuth who are embarking on a fundraising road trip from Perranporth to Cape Town in South Africa

They want to raise £10,000 for Medecins Sans Frontieres and Gondar Ethiopia Eye Surgery, and gather data for an international trial funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

It is expected to take eight months before Daniel Nuth, 28, Sebastian Wallace, 26, and Richard Wain-Hobson, 25, reach Cape Town.

They have already raised £612 during a fundraising evening at The Seiners in Perranporth with a performance by their favourite Cornish choir, The Perraners.

Dr Wallace said: “This trip is a huge challenge for us. It is arguably the least accessible and most volatile time for a few decades to be attempting a journey along this route.

“We’re excited, but realistic about the risks and challenges ahead.”

During the trip they will ask what healthcare options are available for people in Africa, why traditional practices are so attractive in these societies and investigate the validity of common health rumour and hearsay.

Dr Wain-Hobson added: “Sub-Saharan Africa is facing some of the biggest healthcare challenges the modern world has ever seen. If we are to successfully help them overcome these hurdles we must have a sound understanding of the position of western medicine in a given community, and what the beliefs of the local communities are.

“We hope this expedition will help raise awareness that this is a huge part of furthering healthcare here.”

The documentaries will capture their experiences, as well as providing regular updates of their trip on their blog published on their website, http://www.cornwalltocapetown.com