Community Diagnosis Day 2 and Neglected Diseases

This afternoon we took part in our second community diagnosis. The home we visited was very different from the home we saw yesterday. Today's home had only one room, with a kitchen outside. Five people live in this home, including a one-year old infant. Today we received a more thorough explanation of what occurs during a Community Diagnosis visit; these things are examined: locality, family composition, family history, occupations, health status, living conditions, and assessment of surroundings. That data is collected and can often be helpful in identifying health potential issues for families and communities. For instance, if a large area where water pools is discovered, health workers can educate the family on the importance of covering or draining the water so as not to give mosquitoes a place to breed.

This morning's lecture was was also very interesting. Dr. Lobo introduced us to a category of disease I had never heard before - neglected diseases. These diseases kill fewer people, but cause disabilities and deformities that cause heavy economic burden and great misery to the victims. This class of diseases is neglected because they have low rates of mortality (causing death), they are not globally distributed (they are focused mostly in tropical nations), and because they primarily affect the poor who have little political voice or power. Neglected diseases include leprosy, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, yaws, and filaria just to name a few.

The mother-in-law at the home we visited today rolls beedi cigarettes. Often referred to as "poor man's cigarettes," they are popular in South Asia. Beedis are unfiltered, and composed of tobacco leaves. Beedis are hazardous in homes because generally women are the ones who roll them, and those women often have children nearby or on their laps. Women who do this work are more prone to certain types of cancers. When you purchase beedis, you have no guarantee of the conditions in which they were prepared, or what contaminants might have found their way into them in the home where they were prepared. The way this industry functions makes the American tobacco industry look . . . almost like good guys.
Mother and child.

The situation for dogs and cats here is very different from what I expected. There are a lot of street dogs and cats, but it also appears that many animals have a home they tend to stay near. I have seen plenty of dogs wearing collars, and many animals linger near homes in clear anticipation of food. India is a developing nation that is unable to supply safe water and sanitation to much of its population; clearly veterinary care and sterilization of cats and dogs is low on their list of national priorities.

There was a mama dog at the home we visited today; this puppy is hers. Though not yet afraid of humans as most wise street dogs are, this puppy is smart and scrappy enough to know that the family garbage pile, only 15 feet from the front door of the home, is a good place to find a snack.
Same puppy. He was almost stuffed into my backpack and whisked off to the US.
It rained this afternoon, which is highly unusual outside of the monsoon season. This is how the family we visited collects rainwater. If left uncovered (and often they are) these pots of water will become vectors (breeding grounds) for mosquitoes who will then spread malaria, dengue fever, and Japanese encephalitis to humans.
Village food stand.
This little boy is from a family with means. Their home has all indoor facilities. His father owns a business that deals with cable television, which is big business here. I have seen satellites mounted on roadside shanties.
This is the coffee shop located in the student center here. Many of you know that while on this trip I have also been researching and writing my MPH project proposal. This has meant a lot of early mornings and late nights. I can get a delicious latte for 42 rs, or just less than $1.
These are the postcards I have been handing out. When we come across children it is nice to have something to share with them. Even if the recipient is not literate they can enjoy the photos. If you are traveling abroad in the near future consider taking a stack of postcards. They will make you very popular!