Community of Advocates
Nov 16th, 2007 by Mark Rolfe
Having now spent a couple of days in Kenya, I am learning a lot about the healthcare crisis they are facing. Yesterday we visited the Kenyatta hospital which is the tertiary care center for much of Kenya and the teaching hospital. We also talked with the Director of Programs for AMREF, a foundation which provides services to rural communities and those affected with HIV, TB and malaria by use of airplanes and education strategies.It is clear that severe shortages in healthcare workers (some estimates are as low as 1 provider per 100,000 patients) along with stigma and discrimination toward women and those infected with HIV are severely limiting this country’s ability to achieve its healthcare goals. Today’s conference focused on creating relationships with others in the healthcare industry who are committed to ensuring healthcare is a human right, that should not be reserved for the rich or urban citizens.
At first I felt overwhelmed by the work that lies ahead for this community. Like many complex systems, ensuring quality healthcare for all is not an easy task. But today examples were cited that make sense of how this group moves toward advocating for this right. I am struck by the diversity and commitment of the group, and the sense of community I immediately felt. I am incredibly appreciative of Physicians for Human Rights for inviting me to such a forum to learn and advocate; and for their vision in creating such a forum to bring allies together. I look forward to learning ways that I and my US colleagues can help the ongoing struggle.