Get informed about Ebola

One of the primary goals of the Richmond Global Health Alliance is to promote education and to keep supporters engaged in current global health discourse. In an effort to do this, two RGHA volunteers, Ranya Abi-Falah and Meredith Walsh, have compiled information about the Ebola virus and the most recent outbreak in West Africa. 

WHO: Facts to Know about Ebola

Fast facts 

Signs and Symptoms 

Usually manifest within 21 days of exposure

Flu-like symptoms including:

·         Fever

·         Chills

·         Fatigue

·         Joint pain

·         Headache

Also can present with rash, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain

Hemorrhage: in less than 50% of cases and usually in terminal/late stages

“Red eye”

Dark red discoloration of the soft palate

Transmission

Direct contact with blood, body fluids, of patients with Ebola virus disease (EVD)

Cannot be transmitted through air, water, pets, or food 

Treatment

The standard of care is "supportive treatment," which means making sure a patient is kept hydrated  (via IV fluids), that body salts are balanced, that the patient is well oxygenated, and that his/her blood pressure remains within the normal limits. Also, several trial drugs as well as convalescent plasma from recovered Ebola virus disease (EVD) patients have been used to treat patients with EVD during the current outbreak.

PreventionUnless you have been in direct contact with the blood or body fluids of patients with EVD, you have zero risk of contracting the virus. Risk of widespread Ebola infection in the United States is minuscule. 

Vaccine?

Several vaccine trials are underway, but no vaccine is yet available for the general public

CDC: The Top 10 Thinkgs you REALLY Need to Know about Ebola 

From: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/pdf/top-10-things.pdf

Ranya is a third year medical student at VCU School of Medicine (Medical College of Virginia), with a special interest in viral pathogenesis. Meredith works as a Communicable Disease Associate for the Epidemiology Office at the Richmond City Health District. She is involved in the public health response to EVD at a local level. Both Ranya and Meredith have traveled with RGHA to Pampas Grande, Peru. 

My trip to Peru: An experience that I will never forget

By Maggie Byrne

In the summer of 2014, I traveled to the mountains of Peru.  It was an amazing experience that I will never forget.  I traveled with the Richmond Global Health Alliance or RGHA.   It was really fun even though I spoke absolutely no Spanish whatsoever.  We traveled to the small town of Pampas Grande and did many projects including, building greenhouses, providing free medical clinics, spending time with the local children, and doing crafts in their library.  It was really fun to experience a whole different culture, have fun with the kids, see the beautiful landscape and just generally help the town of Pampas Grande and the surrounding villages.

            The culture of Peru is very different from what I am used to in America.  Everyone that I met in Peru was very nice.  Everyone greeted me with a hug even if I had just met them.  This type of greeting was very different from the usual handshake that I am used to in America.  They were also very welcoming and invited us into their homes with open arms.  They always made us something to eat and made sure that we were never hungry.  They were extremely nice to us and that is something that I will never forget.

One of Maggie's favorite photos from her morning hike

            The children were really sweet and it was fun to hang out with them.  I went to the school and did a couple of projects with them, which were amazing.  They were eager to learn the English lessons that I taught using flashcards I had brought with me.  The children taught us how to play some of their games, which were a blast.  One memory that I will never forget happened at their playground.  There were two or three kids on the monkey bars and I started tickling them until they fell off.  I had no idea what I was getting into.  The kids loved it and got back on so I would tickle them again.  Kids were popping out of nowhere to join the game!  It was crazy!  They reminded me of my dog Daisy and her endless energy, because they never got tired and I could not wear them out.  When I tried to stop and go play tag with some other kids, the ones on the monkey bars kept calling my name, “Señorita Maggie, Señorita Maggie.”  Their was no escaping, so I just kept tickling.  It was really fun and I think I connected with the kids. 

            One day we woke up early and went on a hike.  Going on a hike at 12,000 feet was not the easiest thing to do, but it was really fun.  We hiked on a path for a little while before we reached the top.  The view was amazing!  The mountains stretched for miles and the morning fog covered them like a blanket.  As I looked down, the clouds and sky looked like the ocean.  It was beautiful!

            We did a bunch of projects in Pampas and the surrounding villages.  We built a greenhouse which involved everyone pitching in.  We also visited a greenhouse that RGHA had built in the past, and saw all of the plants that were being grown for the community. It was incredible to see what a big difference RGHA had already made.  Every experience, from the landscape, to the culture, to interacting with the children, was an something that I will never forget.  I hope that I can come back one day and see once again see the impact our small group has had on the lives of the people.


Maggie is the daughter of RGHA co-founder, board member, and legal team director Sean Byrne. She traveled to Peru for the first time this summer.

Pippa Carey: Reflections on my Time in Peru

Shortly after I returned from spending my summer with RGHA in Pampas Grande I began my study abroad experience in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was such a drastic change to go from working in an area where quality health care is extremely limited to a welfare state, where all citizens have access to health care that goes far beyond basic needs. While in Copenhagen, I studied public health from a global perspective, and it has made me reflect even further on my time in Peru.

RGHA Student Leader Pippa Carey, in Copenhagen, Denmark, where she studied abroad last semester

The majority of my time in Pampas was spent working in the clinic and on various projects such as the sunscreen project with children either at the school or the library. There were also green houses built and a dental project. Although we have not solidified all of the projects to dedicate our time to each year, we try to meet the needs of the community. Before going in with rigid ideas of what is needed we must ask them what it is that they believe will benefit them the most. As an organization, we must also strive to create sustainable projects that carry on even when we leave. When serving a community, you don’t want to have them remain completely dependent on the support of one week’s stay. Rather, you must help create projects and initiatives that locals can take over and spearhead for the rest of the year. This creates a beneficial partnership.

Pippa and VCU medical student Niyant Jain observing Dr. Erika Soria Leiva in the dental clinic in Pampas Grande, Peru.

During my time in Pampas, I also realized how important is for organizations like RGHA to maintain their relationships with the communities we work in. That means our interactions with the locals must not be limited to the few weeks each summer we are physically present in Pampas but must continue all year round through constant communication and development, even when we are thousands of miles apart.

The trip that I went on was the 4^th year that RGHA has gone to Peru. It shows the people in Pampas Grande how dedicated the organization is to serving their community and builds their trust in the organization. Commitment is essential if trips like the one to Pampas are to ever succeed. The number of people visiting the clinic surpassed any previous year. The committed volunteers return each year to help more who have heard about the good work of the organization.  However, commitment does not automatically equal success. When something doesn’t go as planned, it means making the effort to create a change that benefits everyone, and trynig again. In Pampas, that could mean trying a new system when registering patients at the clinic or scratching one program entirely for one that may be more useful. It’s a commitment to trying to get it right.

Commitment and teamwork also go hand in hand. Everyone on the team has to dedicate themselves to give their best and be willing to do whatever job comes their way. This means that no job is too small or insignificant, whether it’s playing with a child while his mother is being examined by the physician or organizing supplies for the school projects. I have seen all of these characteristics with the groups I worked with in Pampas and they inspired me to do the same.

Finally, discovering something to be passionate about is truly a priceless experience, and developing that passion requires commitment, patience and the cultivation of experiences to provide new perspectives on healthcare and service work. All of these things describe my experience with RGHA. My time in Pampas was truly a life changing one that allowed me to see healthcare in a new way and reinforced my future career goals of working in global health. As a new assistant student director of RGHA, I am excited to help plan the upcoming summer trip and continue collaborating with HOMBRE and PAN Peru to serve the Pampas community.