This is a medical service trip offered by the University of Lynchburg for Doctor of Medical Science students in the Emergency Management and Global Health concentration. It consists of seven days of service in remote health clinics/hospital in Tanzania. Tanzania has a population of approximately 200,000. It has 1 physician for every 33,000 individuals (compared to the US with 1 for every 400 individuals). This trip will help increase access and provide healthcare to individuals who currently do not receive needed healthcare.
The Tanzanian population.
-Life expectancy: 62 years-old, 93% under 55 years-old
-Fertility rate: 5 children/female
-Maternal Mortality: 398/100,000 live births (x28 higher than US)
-Half of population has access to safe water, 16% have safe sanitation facilities.
-1.4 million are immunocompromised
To provide healthcare and health education to an underserved community where access to quality medical services is limited. This is my first ever medical mission trip. Although I cannot specifically say how learnings will carry forward after I return, I know that the people that I meet and treat during this trip and the experience itself will have a life-long impact on me, giving me a new perspective regarding the medical world and medical treatment, which I can directly apply to my current patient population.
I traveled to Tanzania with 8 other PAs to participate in a global health medical mission trip. During the first 4 days of the trip, we spent our time traveling through the Serengeti. We started in Arusha, Tanzania and on the first day we spent some time walking through the community, local markets, and villages in Arusha. I quickly noticed the welcoming energy from the community and how the locals work together to support each other, their families, and their community, which was incredible to witness. However, it was very hard to ignore the public health issues within the community: abundance of trash on the streets, lack of proper water and sewage drainage, increased dirt, dust, and debris from a lack of paved roads, and unsanitary conditions for proper food storage and preparation. I found myself desperately wanting to figure out a solution for this right then and there. We then spent the next few days traveling through the Serengeti where we were provided with wilderness life support for medical providers education and training, which was complimented by not only 3 great instructors/leaders, but also beautiful backdrops of the Ngorongoro crater and throughout the Serengeti itself. From the Serengeti we headed to Shirati KMT Hospital, were we met Dr. Chirangi, the Medical Director of Shirati KMT Hospital. Dr. Chirangi's leadership, compassion, dedication, and care for his community and patients is unmatched and inspiring. During our time at Shirati KMT hospital we were able to help with multiple community outreaches. One in particular, that I found most rewarding, was the Lake Victoria Outreach. Lake Victoria, Tanzania is one of the most endemic regions in Africa for schistosomiasis. During the outreach, we treated 708 people in the community with a single dose of praziquantel to help prevent a disease that could otherwise lead to serious complications such as liver disease and cancer later in life. In addition to the outreaches, we also spent time at Shirati KMT hospital working with children with disabilities and their families and working in the hospital's sickle cell clinic. What stuck out most during my time in both the outreach clinics and in the hospital, was not a lack of expertise, as the doctors and providers are highly knowledgeable, well-trained, and deeply compassionate and committed to the health and well-being of their patients and community, but the overall lack of resources and funding to provide the services the providers want to adequately care for their patients and community. The trip to Tanzania was very humbling, yet very inspiring. It has inspired me to want to do more for these communities. To help establish and facilitate connections with these providers and communities, increase resources and fundings, and to improve the overall health and well-being of such an amazing community.
