VCU GH2DP Honduras Trip Update: Days 3-4

Sharing data with the Health Minister, Olanchito

Yesterday morning we got up early and met with the Health Minister in Olanchito. We shared data from the projects we undertook on our June 2012 trip, including our water filter testing project, anemia point prevalence survey and indoor air quality project. We discussed current health issues facing the communities we serve in and around La Hicaca, and discussed ways we can support the Ministry of Health improve the health of the communities we serve.

Dr. Patrick Mason doing an impromptu
clinical consultation 

We then traveled up to La Hicaca where we had a busy day; we visited with local community leaders where we shared the results of the aforementioned projects, and also did a few impromptu clinical visits, inspected the local cistern (a fairly sophisticated structure that pipes in water from two or so hours away, but that has fallen into disrepair) and also inspected several indoor stoves and water filters.

Sharing data with local community
 leaders in La Hicaca

Examining the cistern above La Hicaca

Inspecting water filters

We found out some very interesting things in our conversations with the Health Minister and local community leaders. In our indoor air quality survey we identified that, in general, there was poor understanding about the connection between smoke inhalation and respiratory problems. Our in-country contacts confirmed this, and also helped us identify that indoor smoke is often generated by poorly maintained stove chimneys. This is important as these chimneys can be repaired relatively cheaply and be made to more efficiently ventilate smoke. We were asked to conduct an educational campaign during our next brigade highlighting the relationship between indoor smoke and respiratory health.

School in La Hicaca

We also visited the school where we typically set up our clinic and learned the roof has fallen into disrepair.

Here is an example of a well-connected
chimney entering a stove; we found that
many chimneys were not attached
to the stoves at all, allowing smoke to
freely enter into the home 

We were welcomed into local homes to spend the night and then traveled on to an even more remote village, Lomitas, today. I will blog more on today’s events in a future post. 

You can learn more about the VCU Global Health and Health Disparities Program (GH2DP) and our work in Honduras here. 

VCU's Global Health & Health Disparities Program Sets Off for Honduras

Drs. Mason, Stevens and Bearman meeting with community
leaders and the minister of health, Olanchito, Honduras,
January 2012

Today our team leaves to meet with community leaders and the ministry of health in Yoro, Honduras. 

Traveling to La Hicaca

Since 2008 we have been serving people across a series of 17 villages in and around the La Hicaca area of rural Honduras. There are approximately 2,000 people in this area, most of whom have extremely limited access to healthcare (see here for a study we did in 2011 looking at people’s ability to access care in this area). We have a large-scale water filter program in the area, and participate in direct medical care, as well. We work closely with our community partners to support health projects they identify as being high yield (some past examples of such projects include a water chlorination education campaign, an anemia point prevalence survey and a survey project examining indoor air pollution).

Drs. Mason, Bearman and Stevens working on the
water filter program, La Hicaca

Every January a small group of us goes down to meet with our community partners and the ministry of health. Our purpose with these trips is three-fold: to prepare for our (larger) June medical trip, to identify new ways in which we can support the people we serve, and to report back on our findings from the previous trip’s work. This year we will be presenting our data from the anemia point prevalence survey, from our survey project on indoor air pollution, and from our study examining the clinical and microbiologic efficacy of our water filter program. Of note, the 2 lead student researchers on the two latter studies just presented their data at yesterday's Virginia ACP Associates' meeting. 

Working on the anemia point prevalence survey, La Hicaca,
June 2012

Since the inception of our program (the VCU Global Health & Health Disparities Program, or GH2DP), we have had over 8,000 direct medical and pediatric encounters, and have distributed over 200 water filters (each of which will provide clean drinking water to an entire family for 2+ years). We also provide de-worming therapy and have been involved in numerous other projects since 2008.

Providing clinical care, La Hicaca, June 2012

For anyone interested in our work, please consider following along as we conduct our planning trip. I will attempt to blog "from the field," and will provide updates in as close to real-time as I am able.

Congratulations Jim, Audrey and Jackie! VCU Students and Residents Present at the VA ACP Associates' Meeting

Congratulations to Audrey Le, Jackie Arquiette and Dr. Jim Pellerin, all of whom have done research with our group, who presented their respective research projects at the Virginia American College of Physicians Associates' Meeting today. Their research really spans the gamut of "Bugs, Drugs & Global Health."

Audrey Le presenting her research 

Audrey Le, a second year medical student at VCU, presented her project looking at indoor air pollution in and around the remote village of La Hicaca in northern Honduras. She found a link between stove location and respiratory symptoms, and her data will inform our future efforts to improve indoor air quality in this area.

Jackie Arquiette presenting her research 

Jackie Arquiette, also a second year VCU medical student, presented on her research looking at the clinical and microbiologic efficacy of our water filter program in this same area. She found decreased self-reported diarrheal illness in patients with water filters, and she found little diarrhea-genic bacteria in the water she tested from our water filters. Her findings support the continuation (and expansion) of our water filter program.

Dr. Jim Pellerin presenting his research 

Dr. Jim Pellerin, a VCU medicine resident, presented his findings categorizing and assessing compliance with antibiotic stewardship recommendations at our medical center. His findings are compelling and will help us refine our stewardship program efforts moving forward.

I know I speak for my research collaborators when I say we are very proud of all three of these very talented student and resident researchers.

Congratulations to Audrey Le and Jackie Arquiette!

From left to right: Audrey Le, Drs. Bearman and Stevens,
Jackie Arquiette; in La Hicaca, Honduras, June 2012

Congratulations to Audrey Le and Jackie Arquiette! Both are VCU School of Medicine students who participated on our health brigade to rural Honduras this past June and did research projects on indoor air pollution and the microbiologic and clinical efficacy of our water filter program, respectively. Their research was featured by the VCU News center today.

Administering a survey,
La Hicaca, Honduras

Audrey and Jackie were able to design, conduct and analyze their data within less than one year. Their results will be shared with the local Ministry of Health and community leaders when we return to Honduras in January. Both studies will a have a direct impact on the health of the people we serve.