18/01/2007

A charity appeal over Christmas by television station, stv, has raised over three-quarters of a million pounds.

stv's Christmas appeal for the African country of Malawi has raised a total of £768,000, thanks to donations from stv viewers across the country and a match funding pledge from Scottish serial entrepreneur, Sir Tom Hunter.

The final sum by far exceeds the target of half a million pounds and will be used to refurbish and help rebuild Malawi's main maternity hospital, which has one of the worst infant and maternal death rates in Africa.

stv initiated the appeal after a news team re-visited Bottom Hospital last year year and discovered horrific conditions that caused ten babies to die there every week. The team was shocked by the overcrowded areas and filthy wards, where women lie beside open skips filled with clinical waste.

£100,000 of the sum was raised by an Edinburgh nurse, Linda McDonald.

Sir Tom's involvement is via a foundation he and former American President, Bill Clinton, have formed, the Clinton Hunter Development Initiative.