Denise Bayard: Tropical Medecine Excursions in TANZANIA

My father and I joined a course in Tanzania to learn more about the tropical diseases in East Africa. Our guide Kay Schaefer (his website: tropmedex) guided our international group (Canada, USA, Australia, Germany, Italy, Hong Kong) through this exciting country.

We visited different hospitals and did rounds in the wards with the local doctors. In one ward there was a man with the new disease (that’s how they call HIV here, that people don’t get what the doctors are talking about), CD4 count was 5 (!!!) and just next to him, there was a woman lying with an pulmonary TB. Isn’t this crazy?

We visited a school in Zanzibar and took urine samples from the school children and tested them for micro- or macrohematuria: 100% of the samples were positive. This is due to schistosomiasis, a very prevalent disease in Zanzibar and all the population is treated once a year for free.

We went to laboratories and learnt how to do the thick and thin blood smear, the main test to diagnose malaria. In Tanzania a patient with fever all the time has malaria till foresaid is excluded. Mosquito nets are used to prevent malaria; the nets produced by Olyset net (a Tanzanian product) are treated by Permethrin and tested in the “mosquito hotel”.

We got to know many different snakes in the snake park, where just next to it is the only snake clinic in the country. They have all the antidots and are specialized for snake bites. There is only a nurse, no doctor, who is treating the patients coming from all over the country. The most dangerous snake in East Africa is the black mamba.

In another hospital we saw a young patient with tetanus (something that most of the doctors never get to see in their lives) because he was circumcised some days before in not proper conditions. All the boys get circumcised once they are ready to become a man (around 14) and also the girls, even if they have to do this in secret because it is forbidden by law.

We met Pat Patten, the man who brought the flying medical service into being and is doing an enormous job by bringing health care (especially the vaccination program) even to the most remote places.

On the west coast of Zanzibar we had the chance to see patients with elephantiasis (filariasis) and lepra, a disease which I thought didn’t exist anymore nowadays. But as these patients can get diagnosed early, which the treatment they receive they are cured. This treatment is for free for the patients, like many other medicaments (HIV, malaria, schisto, TB…).

Next to all the medical program of the trip we also enjoyed the beauty and plentifulness of the country: coffee plantation, “Massai” museum, safari in the Tangire national park, Ngorongoro national park where we had lunch with zebras, spice tour in Zanzibar, citytour trough stone town, amazing beaches…

All in all it was a fulfilling trip where I learnt many medical things and but also many things about the people, culture and religion of the country.

Hug thanks to my father for this awesome trip!!!