Project Report
| Oct 4, 2021
Back in Kenya !!
By Ken Cornetta | Project Leader
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Roadside flower
Jambo !
Writing to you from Eldoret. I’ve been here 2 weeks and it has been a very busy time. We are preparing for our first class of clinical officers who will partake in an 18 month palliative care training. The course will result in a Higher Diploma in Palliative Care and graduates will be recognized as specialists. It is the first of its kind in Kenya and we are excited to welcome the students. Individuals are still enrolling and we can’t wait to meet them all. It could not have been possible without the determination and hard work of Dr. Hussein Elias, Adjunct Assistant Lecturer at the Moi University School of Medicine.
The tuition for students is approximately $2,000 for the 18 month course. This can present a hardship to many who want to attend. We do have some funds to help with scholarships, but the number of students who have applied has been even more than we hoped. Any financial support you can provide would help us in our efforts to educate palliative care specialist in Western Kenya.
We have a number of other irons in the fire and look forward to updating you in the near future! Please stay tuned, stay safe and as always, thank you so much for your support.
Ken
PS – it’s the end of the rainy season here and the flowers are incredible.
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Jun 7, 2021
The Challenges of COVID19
By Ken Cornetta | Project Leader
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Palliative Care at AMPATH continues to play a critical role in alleviating pain and suffering in Western Kenya. Our Kenyan colleagues have been challenged even more by the presence of COVID. While those of us in North American were experiencing the virus surges in 2020, Africa was less affected. Unfortunately, the tables have turned in 2021. While many of us in the West are enjoying the warmer weather and see life starting to return to normal, much of Africa is being hit hard with COVID. Vaccine availability is very limited.
Support for our program has allowed our team in Kenya to train over 100 community health workers on palliative care and COVID19. This efort is led by Dr. Hussein Elias. Over 1000 home visits have resulted from this training, reaching those in rural Kenya who have little access to health care.
Other educational efforts are taking off as well. The national accrediation board for clinical officers has approved our program and student enrollment is open. We hope to obtain similar recognition for our nursing program this fall.
The need for palliative care is greater than ever, and any help is greatly appreciated and will further improve the lives of those in need.
Please stay safe and I again thank everyone for their support during this worldwide crisis.
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Feb 5, 2021
Palliative Care Outreaching into Rural Kenya
By Kenneth Cornetta | Project Leader
JAMBO!
I suspect most of us have been looking forward to 2021. Unfortunately, it appears we will still be dealing with COVID19 for a while. This also means the need to provide Palliative Care is even greater.
The AMPATH program, led by Dr. Hussein Elias in Eldoret, has continued to train Community Health Volunteers. To date, 80 individuals have participated in a 3 day training in Palliative Care, which has included information regarding COVID19. Since going back into their rural communities, the trainees have assessed over 1,000 individuals for physical and psychosocial distress. Seventy five of the individuals assessed required referral to a palliative care clinics for symptom management. Our budget for this program was 10 trainings. Given the positive impact we have been able to show, we hope to expand the program throughout Western Kenya. Any contribution you provide will assist us in this expansion.
We continue to hone our curriculum for training clinical officers and nurses as Palliative Care specialists. COVID19 has provided challenges for learners but have also used this opportunity to develop a Western Kenya Palliative Care Teleconference. This is a monthly online meeting that combines a sort didactic lecture on a specific topic, and then allows Palliative Care practitioners to present challenging cases for group discussion. The first teleconference was help in January of 2021 and was well attended with a great discussion.
The AMPATH program is grateful to the amazing Kenyan Clinicians who continue to provide clinical care during the pandemic. We also thank those who support their efforts. The program continues to grow and you are a key to our success!
Please stay safe! - Ken
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