Vitamin A victory!

Well, its been a number of months since I realized that the most cost-effective child survival tool wasn't being used at CHU-SS.

The administration of Vitamin A (which costs a few cents / dose, and is given for free by the Canadian government) is one of the cheapest interventions there is. It can make a huge difference in the survival of kids with severe malnutrition, and measles.

When we first arrived, no hospitalized child was getting vitamin A for any reason; I was told "its not available to hospitals"... after months of digging around, interviewing people and trying to understand the system, it seemed that Vitamin A is in fact available to the hospital. But only if they ask for it. And no one has asked recently (if ever). It took dozens of phone calls, meetings in Ouaga and Bobo and today a near sit-in in the office that distributes it. But today I was the pround recipient of 1503 hard-earned but free vitamin A capsules. Hopefully enough to last us until our order theoretically arrives with the next order in June.

The other part of the battle has been with the hospital staff. They too believe that vitamin A is only for vitamin A distribution campaigns. But with Pr Nacro supporting me, I've been trying to encourage the physicians and interns to realize that it is a key part of the treatment of severe malnutrition. I have Dr. Sessouma, the pediatrician in charge of the Urgences ward on my side too, which helps.

It may seem small, but as a Johns Hopkins alumnus, it is an important accomplishment for me!! (For those of you to whom that doesn't make sense... it was Hopkins researchers who played a huge role in establishing vitamin A as a child survival tool, and anyone who studies public health there learns very much about vitamin A over the course of an MPH).