happy birthday, Tiara!

Wednesday dawned extra-joyously as we celebrated the 21^st birthday of our very own Tiara Heisey!  There was much celebrating at breakfast, lunch, dinner (including Tiara's favorite - carrot cake!), and even post-dinner, as we capped off the day of celebration with a movie (“Secondhand Lions”), cold sodas (or “minerals” as they call them here!) and popcorn.  Happy birthday, Tiara!  We’re so glad you were born!

After breakfast we loaded back onto the MIAM trucks and took another dusty, bumpy ride down more bumpy, dusty African roads to visit a rural health post and a rural health clinic.  The staff at both locations met us with warm greetings and took some of their precious time to explain what they do.  We first stopped at the rural health post, where we met members of one of the Neighborhood Health Committees that exist in villages and give input into the rural health center, as well as do health education in their communities. We also met many of the community health workers (including one midwife) who work tirelessly to keep their villages healthy.  The staff who man these important posts and are the first line of defense against disease in the communities.  Dr. Thuma later explained that it is often very challenging to find a balance between volunteers the community trusts and someone who has technical training in healthcare.

We then went to tour of one of the rural health clinics, a large, nice building about an hour (by car) from Macha.  The gregarious staff gave us a tour of the facilities and explained what each room in the clinic was for.  Children from the surrounding villages peaked around nearby tree, giggling and waving at us when we caught them looking!  Everyone we meet continues to be extremely friendly and generous, welcoming us at every turn!

After lunch, we spent the afternoon in class.  Students received their graded mid-term tests and did very well!  The average grade was in the 90s!  (We have a very smart group of students!)  We then spent the majority of class discussing malaria – a disease very near and dear to Dr. Thuma’s heart!  (Remember, we are studying at the Malaria Institute at Macha!)

Among the many interesting facts we learned about malaria were these:  Prior to 2003, the Macha Mission Hospital had between 1400-1700 cases of malaria spread over three to five months of the year – about 15 new cases a day, with an average of 3 to 5 deaths a day due to malaria.  In 2004, the new drug Coartem started being used in Zambia to fight malaria.  Due in large part to this new drug (but also due to the expanded use of bednets, insecticides, and education), the number of malaria cases drastically dropped after 2004 to less than 40 cases a year by 2005!  2009 is tracking to have the lowest number of malaria cases in Macha in past 25 years with an estimated 25 cases this year!  Zambia has had a 60% drop in malaria cases in the past few years, while Macha’s reported cases have dropped 95%!  This is in part due to the on-going excellent work Dr. Thuma and his staff continue to do to treat and prevent malaria.

Students are working to finish their major papers on an infectious disease of their choice by 5 p.m. tomorrow.  Many will spend tomorrow morning working away on this, while others will go on hospital rounds.  We’ll have class again in the afternoon, followed by an evening session hearing from a person whose life has been touched by AIDS.

For many of us, the time is going much too quickly!  It is very hard to believe tomorrow is Thursday already!  Apparently, time flies particularly quickly when you’re in Africa!