Today marks the 50th anniversary of Sierra Leone becoming independant. The people in Freetown have been painting everything green, white and blue, holding marching band parades for weeks, celebrating for days and will hold a lantern parade tonight. For us it is a normal workday, but for the locals a national holiday. I did ask one of my taxi driver friends to take some pictures of the parade, but he said it is too dangerous to take a camera, all the bad men are out! Hopefully someone will take some pictures.
Happy 50th birthday Sierra Leone!
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Simple things
When I worked in admissions in our on board hospital a couple of years ago I remember that asking patients when they last had malaria was routine, not if they had ever had it but when, it is a given here that everyone has malaria from time to time. Before I came here the issue of how malaria affects pregnancy had not really entered my radar, it is just not something I ever needed to worry about. Every day at work here malaria is mentioned - women are given preventative treatment, sleep under nets and we are there to diagnose and treat active cases as part of the much wider antenatal care we give. But why is it such a big deal?
Malaria in pregnancy increases the likelihood of the woman becoming anaemic (or more anaemic), there is a large increase in low birthweight infants (which is the greatest single risk factor for neonatal and early infant mortality and also a risk factor for developmental delay, so you can see why we prefer bigger babies), it accounts for about 5% of infant deaths (in this part of the world), it also increases the likelihood of the mother dying, of sponatneous abortion (miscarriage), stillbirth, growth restricted babies and pre-term births.
I know that all sounds very depressing - the good news is it can largely be prevented with just a couple of simple measures. The WHO approach which we follow is to recommend all pregnant women sleep under Insecticide Treated Nets and be given Intermittent Preventative Treatment. Women who present with symptoms should be treated aggressively, although often malaria during pregnancy has no symptoms (besides possibly anaemia) because of the woman's acquired immunity so the other two measures are vital. So the next time you get one of those alternative gift charity forms where you can buy a mosquito net for someone in Africa just remember it might actually save some lives. It is the simple things that can make a difference, but here not everyone can afford something so simple.
Malaria in pregnancy increases the likelihood of the woman becoming anaemic (or more anaemic), there is a large increase in low birthweight infants (which is the greatest single risk factor for neonatal and early infant mortality and also a risk factor for developmental delay, so you can see why we prefer bigger babies), it accounts for about 5% of infant deaths (in this part of the world), it also increases the likelihood of the mother dying, of sponatneous abortion (miscarriage), stillbirth, growth restricted babies and pre-term births.
I know that all sounds very depressing - the good news is it can largely be prevented with just a couple of simple measures. The WHO approach which we follow is to recommend all pregnant women sleep under Insecticide Treated Nets and be given Intermittent Preventative Treatment. Women who present with symptoms should be treated aggressively, although often malaria during pregnancy has no symptoms (besides possibly anaemia) because of the woman's acquired immunity so the other two measures are vital. So the next time you get one of those alternative gift charity forms where you can buy a mosquito net for someone in Africa just remember it might actually save some lives. It is the simple things that can make a difference, but here not everyone can afford something so simple.
Monday, 25 April 2011
The Resurrection
Yesterday billions of Christians around the world celebrated a man rising from the dead. In this they did not celebrate the resuscitation of a man, as happens in hospitals every day, but that a man who was dead is no longer dead and never will be again.
Tim Keller expresses why Easter is absolutely central to the Christian faith:
Sometimes people approach me and say, “I really struggle with this aspect of Christian teaching. I like this part of Christian belief, but I don’t think I can accept that part.”
I usually respond: “If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said?
The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.”
[...] we can’t live our lives any way we want. It also meant we don’t have to be afraid of anything, not Roman swords, not cancer, nothing.
If Jesus rose from the dead, it changes everything.
[(emphasis mine) Tim Keller, The reason for God]
"If Jesus rose from the dead, it changes everything," that was my conclusion a little over 13 years ago - what's your?
Happy Easter - He is Risen!
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Happy Easter
I don't really know where to start or what to tell you about Easter on board. Reflecting on our Easter this year, it has been a mixture of sickness, our plans cancelled and some of our family missing out on the activities on board.
Yet it has also been a time of quiet relaxing, easter egg hunts, movies and sharing time with people. We have celebrated together and remembered the day that changed the world. Happy Easter! Christ is risen!
Saturday, 23 April 2011
colouring eggs
The kids gathered in the dining room to dye some eggs
Josh and Max dunked nearly all of theirs in the green
Then you check when they are ready
And admire the variety of colours. Tomorrow we get to eat them as part of our Easter brunch :-)
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