 Children's Oncology Ward Kiswahili word of the week: Asante sana. Asante sana means "thank you". As someone who is known as the slowest language learner in every language class she has ever taken, I am still embarrassed to say that I did not learn to say "thank you" in Kiswahili until this week. I am very lucky, everyone in Kisumu understands the English "thank you". That said, I believe it is very important to be able to communicate, even just a few phrases, in the language of the country you visit. Knowing even a few words shows respect, that you are interested in learning their culture, that you see the person you are interacting with as an individual, and it also helps you get better deals in the marketplace! This week I had the opportunity to visit the Provincial General Hospital in Kisumu. I made sure to thank the Dental Department and the Children's Oncology Department for giving me some of their time, and for sharing with me the accomplishments and challenges they face in serving Kisumu Province. Please click "read more" on to the right of this paragraph. Kenya is a developing country, whose people struggle with health, education, and economic challenges. These interlinked challenges create a vicious cycle, which lead to more challenges, preventing people from gaining access to health, education, and building the economy. The Government of Kenya, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Project, USAID, the Government of China, and many International Non-Government Organizations are infusing these three sectors with human, financial and physical resources to turn the vicious cycle into a virtuous cycle. In a virtuous cycle, Kenyans would live a long life, be highly educated, and gainfully employed, increasing the standard of living for all Kenyans. Visiting the Provincial General Hospital (PGH), I was able to see the Government of Kenya's efforts to increase the health of its citizens. The average Kenyan age is 19. This low age is due to the fact that in Kenya 85 out of 1,000 children die before the age of 5. These children die of diseases and sicknesses like measles, tuberculosis, HIV, worms, malnutrition and diarrhea. All of these are inexpensively treated through preventative measures like immunizations and access to clean water and nutritious food. The other reason for the low Kenyan average age is because many adults have died of HIV. Now, HIV is no longer the death sentence it was in the 1990s. Thanks to the American people, who subsidize HIV drugs through our private pharmaceutical companies, Kenyans receive PMTCT (Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission of HIV) prophylaxis and Anti-Retroviral (ARVs) drugs, free of charge. A Kenyan diagnosed with HIV, that consistently takes ARVs and follows Anti-Retroviral Treatments, can live a long and healthy life. Provincial General Hospital is a federal government hospital for the Kisumu District. At PGH I visited both the Dental Unit and the Children's Onocology Ward. I did not take any pictures of patients, in order to protect their identity. If you click on the links, you can find pictures of patients with the illnesses I describe below. The Dental Unit visit was very quick, and was an opportunity to meet the staff before I bring my parents to visit the Dental Unit when they visit in late May. My co-worker Ken Obiero, OGRA's Clinical Director, introduced me to the Dental Unit staff, and we got a quick 3 minute walk through the unit. In that time we saw many of the successes and challenges of the unit. There were about a dozen clients waiting for their appointment. The facility was large, overall clean and well-organized. In the hallway, there were approximately 6 broken dental chairs. They had 5 exam rooms, all containing chairs, with only 1 functional chair. The dental unit has been very successful with getting items donated so they can care for their patients. The biggest challenge they have is equipment breaking down a few years after it is donated, and not having the tools or a person trained in maintenance to both care for and repair dental equipment. There is nothing worse than the sounds of a sick child crying in pain. The next unit I visited was the Children's Oncology Ward. Ken left me with Christina, the Head Nurse of the Ward, and a half-dozen Health Care Workers who were rotating through different hospital wards, giving treatment. My first experience in the ward was watching four very sick children receive injections directly into their lower spines. Although I know that the treatment is effective and necessary, it was difficult to watch a 6 year old boy try so hard to be brave, begin to whimper, and then scream because the pain of the needle in his back and medication burning up his spine is too much. The Ward contained fourteen children, who had many different kinds of cancer. In Africa, there is a special kind of cancer that affects children, in lake regions burdened with malaria, called Burkitt's Lymphoma. Because of the speed of the cancer, with the cells doubling every 24 hours, children that have with Burkitt's Lymphoma, but have not received treatment, only live a few weeks to a few months. Around Lake Victoria, the cancer typically manifests itself on one side of the jaw, deforming one side of the face. In the past, a child diagnosed with Burkitt's Lymphoma was receiving a death sentence. This is changing in Kisumu because of OGRA Foundation. Through OGRA partners, Miriam Sevy, who started the Burkitt's Lymphoma for Africa Project and Direct Relief International, who sends specialized cancer medication, OGRA is using an evidence-based approach to treat and cure children living with Burkitt's Lymphoma. The children treated have an 80% chance of survival. Those that survive, have a very low chance of relapse, and go on to live normal lives. This project is supported by OGRA Foundation, but they cannot support it forever. OGRA plans to use the success of the project to convince the Government of Kenya's Ministry of Health to take over funding of this highly successful project. This is how OGRA creates sustainable outcomes in Kenya. What was really uplifting about the Children's Ward were the care takers and the children themselves. When you go to the hospital for inpatient services in Kenya, a family member or a friend goes with you. Their job is to serve as your advocate while in the hospital, get your meals, make sure you are drinking water and taking your medication, and do your laundry. Care takers sleep at the hospital. If there are extra beds, they get a bed. If there is no extra bed, they sleep on the floor. Many care takers at the Children's Ward were mothers, who spend their days sitting in a chair, holding their child's hand. The most inspirational care taker was a 11 year old boy, who was caring for his 8 year old brother. When I arrived, I caught them playing chase in the hallway. After his brother received his spinal injection for Burkitt's Lymphoma, his 11 year old brother helped carry him back to his bed, and gave him a glass of water. Kenya has great kids. |  View from Children's Oncology Unit  How used needles are disposed in Health Care Facilities (the box is burned)  Hospital sheets, drying in the sun  Provincial General Hospital Dental Unit  The one working dental chair  Strange Beautiful Clouds (taken courtesy of Amy) |
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