little letters: E. Coli...not just featured in Food, Inc.

Sometimes you get E. Coli and vomit for a few days. Yikes! Currently on the mend. Here are a few updates from the past few weeks :)

While I'm waiting on a few final pieces from the University of Zambia and the Ministry of Health, I've spent my time doing some preliminary research and working at Chikumbuso. My main research site is Chainama Hills Mental Hospital, the only public institution for the treatment of alcohol abuse in all of Zambia. But as you can imagine from the name, Chainama is also the only center for many other challenges--all forms of mental illness, in fact. In practice, this means that individuals suffering from schizophrenia, psychosis, violent episodes, Alzheimers, acute learning disabilities, and substance abuse all receive treatment in the same place.

When I walk into work in the morning, I'm usually greeted by individuals singing and pacing (today it was a Taylor Swift rendition), young alcohol abusers sitting quietly in the corner, silent nods from those unable to speak, waves from those in wheelchairs, and lots of handshakes. Far above capacity, a single ward may host nearly double the number of prescribed patients, and simply glancing through the gate you can feel the unease of proximity (both to those with radically different diagnoses from oneself and also simply the physical closeness to other persons in a small space). Healthcare is completely free in discourse in Zambia, yet inadequate government funding often requires patients to pay some amount in practice; this is never enough to sustain the hospital beyond basic functions, and often even these primary needs remain unmet. Leaky pipes leave trails across the floors, many medications simply are not available at the pharmacy, and power flips on and off unpredictably. However, at Chainama I've found staff who are utterly committed to treating every patient as a full human being, and caring for each one even when resources are stretched quite thin.

The correlation of other challenges--medical and otherwise--for those with mental illnesses in Zambia is quite high. Substance abuse often precedes or follows mental challenges, along with poverty. HIV, tuberculosis, and other physical ailments intersect, as well as hopelessness and dejection. The stigma against those with mental illnesses in Zambia pushes these individuals to the margins of society, and opportunities to attend school or work are few and far between. In my time here, I will be working with youth to better understand the medical, social and psychological causes and effects of substance abuse. The Ministry of Health aims to use this as evidence in the policy formation process to structure compatible interventions, and though I know I will leave with lots of information regarding youth substance abuse, I hope that in the process I'll learn a great deal more about the bigger picture of mental illness and service provision in Zambia. I'll keep you updated!

In our time off, Will and I host dinners, go for jogs, and try to explore around the country. Two weeks ago we took a trip to Livingstone (as pictured below). Many more adventures to come :) Thanks for reading!