HIV Care and Nutrition Program (UKUN)

The past two weeks with HIV project in Bagamoyo were busy with visiting patients and introducing new volunteers to our team. Volunteer David left our team and Charles was still away for another week.

Debbie, an ex- volunteer from UK came back to help us again; for the third time. She is staying three weeks this time and has been a great worker and fundraiser for couple of years now. She just keeps coming back! I have been lucky to have her living at my house and she has become a great friend to me. She loves helping people and brings great new ideas to our team. Another lovely volunteer joined us last week; Kirstine from Denmark. She is staying here for a whole two months! Kirstine came through Action Aid Denmark and stays with a local family with another Danish girl.

That is a great way to learn about the local culture and language here and to understand our patients’ life in Bagamoyo. She is also very keen and full of ideas. We completed our referral forms to UKUN/PHI and gave some to the hospital already. We have also designed a poster to raise awareness about our office HIV testing as the numbers have been down. This is also due to our ‘new’ location so we need to take action to make people more aware. Kirstine also has an idea to advertise in a local HIV magazine or some newspaper here and to paint a big red ribbon to outside on the office wall. Bot girls with Godfrey are also keen to do big promotion day at weekly TopTop market (Mondays) for a free testing. It was done once before few months back and we managed to test over 40 people that day! We have been busy visiting our home care patients and introducing them to our new volunteers with Godfrey.

Morogoro Family:

Newly diagnosed family from Morogoro had some changes for the past two weeks. Mother A left home with baby M to Morogoro for ‘few months’ and G and his 7year old son remained here to be looked after by Mama Ponda’s family.

Apparently there was not enough money to support the whole family in that household so the most sick stayed; father G. We visited him couple of times to give porridge and extra snacks and physiotherapy. He is still malnourished and feels dizzy occasionally but appears a little ‘healthier’. He is now able to mobilise quite long distances without his walker and seems happy in himself. He finally received his referral letter from Morogoro to be able to receive his ARVs here regularly. We will continue our support with him.

Patient HT & AM:

Patient HT and his sister AM appear both in good health. HT came back to Bagamoyo finally after fully recovering from his operation in Dar. We organized a little welcome party for him at his house with coffee and cakes! He received a nice new shirt from Debbie and looks like a new man! He restarted his cigarette business (not such a healthy thing but it was his income for a long time with a good profit before he got sick so he wanted to continue), which we supported with a little capital. AM is keen to start some business too which she could do from home and we are working on the idea. Unfortunately her mum who lives with them, lovely old lady of nearly 80 years got sick with flu but she is on her way to recovery. We gave her medicines for two weeks. Next week we will review her and HT's business. The family really needs an income to survive.

Patient Z:

Patient Z, our new patient, who is suffering from peptic ulcers and reduced mobillity has majorly recovered since we first met her few weeks ago. Her abdominal pains have lessened and she continues to take Ranitidine to stop acid production. She can walk long distances now with her stick and has no problems with toileting. Constipation has also resolved now. Seems like another successful story for our home-based care team. We will continue nutrition support with weekly porridge and review. All physiological observations are stable. She complained a little tight chest but it seemed clear when listening and her respirations were 22bpm but she had done exercise. She has her monthly CTC hospital appointment next Monday and her daughter Hadija will go with her but we will pay for transport (bajaji).

Patient MP:

Patient MP had a good two weeks without problems until today (Sunday) afternoon when I received a phone call from her family. They reported she had diarrhoea. When I got to the house I discovered she had a fever and severe diarrhoea. She had had watery stools several times. Family refused to take to hospital as Mariam was too sick to travel. Blood pressure was 90/70 and she appeared dehydrated. Family found it hard to give any drinks as Mariam was not swallowing properly. I gave liquid Paracetamol and she managed to swallow that. We gave ORSs (oral rehydration salts) to the family to give to Mariam and left them with more liquid Paracetamol and nappies to wear over night. We went back later with Debbie and Chanzi to cannulate her and put up a saline drip over night. She was not swallowing any of the ORSs. We will review tomorrow morning and try to get a blood sample to rule out Malaria.