Our History

1992 – STACC was established in Scotland by staff from the University of Glasgow, led by Professor David Crompton and Mr Robbie Ewen, Secretary of Court of the University of Glasgow.

1992 - Health care for children begins in Sierra Leone focusing on mobile and fixed clinics, to support a programme of deworming school-age children and infant feeding.

1997 – Civil war in Sierra Leone; STACC’s vehicle and records destroyed. STACC continues to provide health care despite the war. MSF commends STACC/SL for its achievements.

1998 – Health care for children from mobile clinics begins in Nigeria, with the clinics visiting eight locations each month.  Malaria, upper respiratory tract infections and intestinal disorders are major problems in the area.

2003 – STACC begins to support the Children’s Ward at St Kizito Hospital, Matany, Uganda. The hospital is in a remote and poor region of Uganda.

2003 – Health care for children begins at Gombani, Pemba Island, Zanzibar, resulting from an informal collaboration between STACC, the Ivo de Carneri Foundation (Milan) and the Zanzibar Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

2004 - The centre on Pemba Island begins its outreach service for children living beyond easy reach of Gombani. Before this service began some parents were walking for up to two days carrying sick children.

2007 – STACC starts to support the BION project bringing health care to Maasai children in Kenya, with an emphasis on providing insecticide-treated bednets for Maasai children, safe water containers, and better personal and home hygiene. Food is regularly distributed for the children.

2008 – STACC begins to support health care for children in Bongo District, Ghana near the border with Burkina Faso. The provision included work to prevent and control schistosomiasis, dental care, and health education through schools.

2009 – The Government of Sierra Leone incorporates STACC/SL’s deworming activities into its national programme for treating school-age children for worm infections. The incorporation enables SL to meet the WHO target of reaching at least 75% of school-age children with deworming treatment.

2012 – Miss Universe Ghana becomes STACC GHANA’s ambassador for dental care and promotes the work on national TV. The work is featured on national TV.

2013 – STACC/SL moves away from national deworming to national infant feeding

2014 – Work of STACC/SL somewhat impaired by the national Ebola crisis.

2014 - STACC GHANA decides that treatment and control of schistosomiasis should be its top priority. STACC sends funds for the purchase of equipment for, blood analysis, Ultrasound, Phototherapy and a motorbike and contributes £10,000 to help build a clinic at Ile-Ife.

2016 – An active year during which STACC:

• increased funding to enable STACCILEIFE to provide 20 mobile clinics monthly;
• supported STACC/SL to continue its work with the infant feeding programme and was glad to learn that this has now become national service run by the Ministry of Health in Sierra Leone;
• continued to provide funds for hospital equipment at St Kizito’s, for bednets for the BION project and for STACCIEIFE;
• review and revision of the Memorandum & Articles of Association;
• sent £3.000.00 to enable the Uphill Trust in Uganda to build a latrine block at a girl’s school.
• began to contribute to the cost of running the Children’s ward at Pope John’s Hospital, Aber, Uganda, contributing about a third of the annual costs of running the ward. 

2017 – On 12 September, STACC marks its 25th anniversary and continues its support for health care for children in Africa.

2017 – Dentons UKMEA LLP assumed the role of Company Secretary following MM&S’s decision to merge with Dentons.

2018 – The decision was taken to withdraw funding from Gombani clinic, Pemba Island, Zanzibar. During this time, 333,000 treatments were delivered to children.

2018 – Graham Paterson resigned after plus 25 years as a Director. He was one of the three who established STACC as a Charitable Company.

2018 – Sir William Fraser, STACC’s first Honorary President died on 12 September.

2019 – The Sierra Leone programme was adopted by the SL government into its national programme for the control of intestinal worm infections in school-age children and so no longer required financial support from STACC.  The health care team continues to contribute with training for the national programme and the supply of medicines.
2020 – efforts at home and abroad disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. David Crompton decided to stand down from the Board after 28 years. The Summer 2020 Newsletter had the following tribute: “The final thing, but absolutely not the least, is that we have to pay tribute to David Crompton. David, as you know, founded STACC back in 1992 with the aim of promoting the provision and development of child health care in sub-Saharan Africa. Since its inception, STACC has received over £2.3 million and supported over 1.7 million medical treatments and nutrition interventions, and funded the purchase of innumerable pieces of vital equipment. David decided to stand down from the Board of STACC from the beginning of 2020, but he will very much still be an active member of STACC. David created a model charity, with its very low running costs and its firm base on personal knowledge of those who run the projects on the ground. It can point to remarkable achievements, from its ability to keep going during civil disturbance to its establishment of ways of working which had been transformed into national provision. The trusted personal bonds which David developed with healthcare professionals in Africa formed the basis of enduring relationships which have provided the secure basis for the long-term funding of clinics and health centres. At David’s last STACC Board meeting he was presented with an embroidery from Zimbabwe illustrating the lives of mothers and children. David will be greatly missed by the Board for his experience, wisdom and commitment. The Board is delighted that he will remain closely connected to STACC and continue to assist with fund-raising and especially in London.”

2020 - David Crompton was elected Honorary President at the 2020 AGM, succeeding Lord Kerr of Kinlochard, who in turn became a director of STACC.