Oregon volunteer heads to south Sudan to battle meningitis outbreak
Source: Medical Teams International
Tracey Goldner
Website: http://www.medicalteams.org
Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.
(PORTLAND, ORE. April 19, 2007) Volunteer physician Dr. Joe Campbell departs Saturday, April 21, for southern Sudan. At the request of the Sudanese Ministry of Health, Medical Teams International will partner with two other agencies to vaccinate more than 70,000 men, women and children against the meningococcal meningitis outbreak that has been plaguing the region since early 2007.
The United Nations reported at the end of March that nearly 500 people had died of the deadly disease, pointing to the need for an intervention. Now that the vaccination campaign is underway, the Sudanese Ministry of Health hopes that more than 70 percent of potential outbreaks will be prevented.
Meningitis is a virulent and deadly disease; five to 10 percent of those affected will die in less than two days. People who do survive have a 10 to 20 percent chance of being left permanently disabled.
Dr. Campbell will work with an Emergency Response Team for one month in Tonj, located in Warrab state. The medical professionals will administer vaccines and train local health care providers to carry out the vaccination campaign effectively. The training will cover how to administer a vaccine, keep accurate vaccination records and maintain the cold chainÂan important step in a region where temperatures often exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
As the first Medical Teams International volunteer to southern Sudan, Dr. Campbell is well-prepared for the difficult work that lies ahead. The volunteer physician has served in a disaster response capacity in Sri Lanka, following the tsunami, and the Gulf Coast, after Hurricane Katrina.
"We are pleased to be able to respond to this disease outbreak in south Sudan," says Kristin Homan, disaster response team coordinator for Medical Teams International. "Meningitis affects everyone, the young, the wage earners and the elderly. This campaign has the potential of preventing the majority of people in this region from contracting this very serious illness."
To learn more about the work of Medical Teams International, please call (800) 959-HEAL (4325) or visit our Web site at www.medicalteams.org.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
