MESSAGE FROM THE EDITORSomewhere in the frenetic circulation of global ideas, a group of cells clumped together and this newsletter was born.

Auscultate is a new voice within the African medical fraternity. It is a platform for the International Federation of Medical Student Associations-Africa Region to showcase some of the activities its members engage in. It also publishes opinion, art, photography and essentially anything that can convey an idea on paper. Controversy is not avoided if it is necessary. As we grow, more students in the allied and adjunctive fields to medicine, not just medical students alone, will contribute their unique perspectives.

In our first issue you will find many articles describing some of the great projects that medical students around Africa are organising and implementing. Some medical students have a hidden talent for NAW (non-abbreviated writing) and we publish some of their thought-provoking journalise, largely about the lifestyle and philosophies of being a medical student or health professional trying to achieve the common goal of better health for all.

We want to create a contact network amongst the African and International medical student fraternity. Our vision of creating a database of project, elective and exchange opportunities for African medical students is unique and will prove useful for students to increase the experience base. We have set up a page on facebook to improve our network and hopefully this issue will be seconded to everyone you know. The network will grow...

Included in this issue is a list of as many medical schools as we could find in Africa. Glance over that list - there are countries and medical schools you may have previously not known of and you may also decide to start projects with students those schools and areas.

There is much and ever more to be done in Africa; the world’s second largest, second most populous and sadly poorest continent. The quality and quantity of life for its people can be greatly improved. About that, there is no argument. But how best to do this, and actually implementing all the great ideas that people have, are the real challenge. Auscultate forms a small piece in the ongoing global effort to reach Africa’s potential.

This inaugural issue only grazes the surface of the scope and number of activities that medical students engage in to try and make a positive difference. It is a humble beginning, but look out for future fuller and more fascinating issues.

Auscultate is a newly seeding morulaof ideas. It metastasizes globally.

Anand Odhav NaranbhaiChief Editor

EDITORIAL BOARD

FROM THE EDITOR

CONTACTS

1

CHIEF EDITOR

Anand Odhav Naranbhai,South Africa

LAYOUT & DESIGN

Mohamed Nour Eldin,Sudan

CONTRIBUTING TEAM

Chijioke Kaduru,Ghana

Mohamed Salama Draz,Egypt

Sandra danso-Bamfo,Ghana

Olumide John Kolawole,Ghana

Mathabo Hlahane,South Africa

Auscultate 2009IFMSA-Africa Newsletter

IFMSAInternational Federation of

Medical Students' Associations

If you would like to contactAuscultate,

email:auscultateamsn@yahoo.com

THIS IS AN IFMSA PUBLICATION.Portions of this report may be reproduced for non political and non profit purposes, mentioning the source. Every care has been taken in the preparation of the content. Nevertheless, errors cannot always be avoided. IFMSA cannot accept responsibility for any liability that may arise from such errors.

IN THIS ISSUE

Message From The Editor..............................................................................................................................1

Ifmsa- A Lifetime's Worth............................................................................................................................3

Africa: Where, How & Why...........................................................................................................................4

Sensitization campaign on diabetes issues .................................................................................................5

Death, Life and the Stuff In Between............................................................................................................6

How To Make A Difference?...........................................................................................................................8

Student Partnerships In Campaigning.........................................................................................................9

Healthcare Information For All In Africa By 2015.....................................................................................10

Medical Marriages ....................................................................................................................................10

Medical Students Of Burkina Are Fighting Against Hunger.......................................................................11

Healthy Living & Cancers............................................................................................................................12

African Medical Schools..............................................................................................................................13

A Week-Long Health Education...................................................................................................................16

African Medics And Climate Change...........................................................................................................17

IFMSA Projects in Africa..............................................................................................................................18

Announcements: NMOs Events...................................................................................................................19

Map Of Africa.............................................................................................................................................20

FROM THEDESIGN ANDLAYOUT

Mohamed Nour,SudanIFMSA VPE RAfor Africa 08/09MedSIN-Sudan VPE

_CONTENTS..

3 years ago, we became full members,Filled with glow, joy in our hearts,

Our sweet MSA, attained such wealth,In the great IFMSA, working for global

health.

My first AM Serbia, the next in Kent,From project fairs, my energy spent,

To SC meetings and endless plenaries,Intense brainstorming and drinking

parties.

Pre and Post-GAs, making new friends,In our IFMSA, such is the trend,

The project presentations, an hour a day,A source of motivation, until the next GA.

I cannot imagine, life after IFMSA,Seems a great sin, to leave you any day,The thought is agonising, I might even

die,Indeed perturbing, thank goodness for

alumni.

This great federation, a lifetime's worth,Bridging many nations, thus bringing

forth,People with a common interest,

Health for all, at its best.

Regards,Jalikatu Mustapha

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IFMSA- A LIFETIME'S WORTH

A LIFETIME'S WORTH

FROM THE REGIONAL COORDINATOR

AFRICA: Where, How & Why ....from the Regional Coordinator

Chijioke KaduruRegional Coordinator – IFMSA Africa 2009/09

As many commissions are put in place by the different countries to strengthen their health systems, African medical students continue to make their contributions, small though it may seem towards a better Africa and a better world. Additionally, their counterparts from all other corners of the globe continue to establish projects and collaborations, all in the bid to maximize the great potential that is available within this great region, to the benefits of the region.

As medical students and future health care practitioners, we have already chosen a path that involves fighting for the safety and health of individuals and of the communities at large. As broad as this may sound to some, it briefly highlights how the world sees us. A look at the health statuses of our communities today therefore tells us that there is a lot of work to be done if citizens of African communities are to stay safe and healthy. Medical students and future health care practitioners are expected to play an active role in extending health to the citizens of their communities.

It gladdens the heart of many to see medical students making extra efforts to help their communities through our numerous projects that cut across every angle of public health. Medical students used to have the notion that success only comes from studying, studying and more studying and have been known to do nothing but bury themselves in their books. However, what makes IFMSA members special is our realisation that we can improve ourselves as medical students and future health care professionals as well as improve the communities we live in. We come to terms with the fact that waiting to qualify as a doctor before working to improve our communities may come too late.

Many may understate this way of thinking, many may point out that there is much to study as a medical student and that afterwards, you can go on ahead to make all the difference you want to. This will not come as a surprise as I am sure lots of IFMSA members have heard this argument or a convenient variation of it. However, when you live in a community that is lined with ill health and especially

high morbidity & mortality of preventable or curable illnesses, you should come to terms with the fact that it is never too early to start making a difference. It is never too early to step up and work towards the effective prevention and or cure of such illnesses.

In as much as Africa has mostly low to middle income countries, it is a region that is endowed with

rich human and natural resources. It is a region that is filled with potential and is

a region where many of us are provided with lots of opportunities with which

to make a difference. We as African medical students must therefore

understand that maximizing the potential of this great region to fit into our priority lists is

essential to the growth and development of this region and its

people. Illiteracy and poverty have continued to get the better part of the

region and the way forward definitely includes the involvement of medical

students and future health professionals.

As IFMSA members, and as people who the future of this great region will someday depend on, I am sure that we will not relent in our strive to continue to work for safer and healthier communities with citizens who are better informed and educated about safe health practices. Let us make an effort to think back about the real motives behind this path that we walk and share these motives with our colleagues across the region; that they may be encouraged to spare a moment today for the health of their communities.

However, what makes IFMSA

members special is our realisation that we

can improve ourselves as medical students and future

health care professionals as well as improve the

communities we live in

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AFRICA: Where, How & Why

5

Sensitization campaign on diabetes issues in scholars’ and students’ background of Bujumbura

The Burundian medical students association has been involved in improving global health since it’s creation in 2002 by organising multiple activities on a national level.

We are working through the Standing Committee on Public Health to promote a healthy lifestyle. There are a large number of projects carried out, each orientated around the needs of the local population. Chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus, cancer, tobacco smoking, tuberculosis, tropical diseases, and child and adolescents Health are some of focus areas.

As medical students we are proud to run a wide sensitization campaign on diabetes amongst scholars and students of Burundi since 2007.

Up to now we have successfully organised two sessions, the first held in 2007 with 200 participants. We held a second session in 2008 with 1000 participants coming from eight secondary schools and five universities of Bujumbura. For this session we have been working with peer educators.

We are looking forward organising the third session in collaboration with Handicap

International France to be run from 2009 to 2012.

Through our actions we are expecting to create a sense within medical students of their role within public health as future health professionals.

So wherever you are, make sure you are working for a better world by improving global health.

Lydia Gahimbare,ABEM Burundi president

FROM SIERRA LEONE

DEATH & LIFE

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Death, Life and the Stuff In Between.

VDIA Anand Naranbhai, Durban, South AfricaCharacterizing the genetic make-up of entities is one of the biggest past times of the modern day scientist. There are exciting large scale multi-institutional projects such as the Human Genome Project, the 1000 Genomes Project and The Human Microbiome Project. On the other strata of the 4 dimensional (string theorists can add some more wool here) genosphere, are studies that look at specific genes, and their functions, such as those involved in embryology, circadian rhythms, autism and Alzeimhers disease.

Human behaviour is rather interesting to consider from an evolutionary point of view. For example, how did the habit of picking one’s nose and palating those truffles come to be? Could it be that picking one’s nose and then ingesting the nasal ore is a form of antigen presentation to the body; a process likened to a macrophage or dendritic cell ingesting, processing and then presenting the antigen to T-cells? Could picking one’s nose be a behaviour that evolved to compliment our immune system in ways that C3b most definitely can’t? Maybe it’s just that it’s salty.

A somewhat less outrageous study will be to look for the genes involved in that special sense of humour medical professionals seem to have - a propensity for sarcasm, a morose sense of humour, witty political opinions and an appetite for professional (of course) gossip. All are prerequisite to being a fine servant of the entity we call health provision.

definitely have been in wonderland.

On my second night, I was stationed in a poor, rough and tough informal settlement area. This time, the paramedic I was accompanying was a bit of an oddball. He seemed to bubble in the morbidities of his job and his vocabulary extended not much further than back-alley expletives.

He did his job with passion no doubt, but I really did wonder whether all the trauma of being a paramedic, and underpaid (relative to equally studied

lawyers, accountants etc) at that, started to manifest itself in him.

During the night we attended about 16 cases, including: a patient with gunshot wounds, a wife who had fractured ribs from being abused by her husband, a patient with chest pain, a few patients with tuberculosis, two women in labour, a gentlemen

who had been hit by a car, and a 14 year old girl who had a miscarriage - we saw her foetus in a bucket. At the casualty department of the hospital to which we took patients to, there was a 3 year old child who had been shot twice by her father. Her mother was across the room, also having been shot.

THE STUFF IN BETWEENAfter my two shifts, I began to question my own response to all those events I saw. Why did I feel like nothing special happened? The above cases are not uncommon in some of the neighbourhoods in my country and are in fact less vile than those in many other countries. Is the trauma that we are exposed to as medical professionals absorbed automatically and somehow changes us without us realising it?

DEATH I recently spent two nights working on an ambulance and my special sense of humour was tested.

The first was a rainy and cold Friday night and although I was based in the centre of the city, the ambulance vehicle that I was on didn’t get any serious call outs.

However, a classmate of mine who was based on another vehicle did see some action i n d e e d : a parasuicide, a suspected paediatric epilepsy case and the finger bones of a patient who jumped or fell of a train. Her unit also attended to a case in which a pedestrian was first hit by a car and then subsequently run over by two more cars. In the elegant words of the co-ordinating officer: “the O’s got no head”. From his tone, I first thought he was making a chastising comment to one of the paramedics he was the boss of, but in fact, he was referring to pedestrian who was decapitated. The Junior parademic on my ambulance turned around while driving and yelled with delight to her Senior crewmate who was in the back with a patient. The case was subsequently discussed with better animation that Pixar. Alice would

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What do all those sad sights do to my neurons (and cortisol levels for that matter)? I wonder how I actually found myself laughing at some of the drunken antics that actually represent a thing which I believe to be the cause of so much tragedy.

As medical professionals, we develop a detachment rather like that pedestrian (forgive this comment but it illustrates with irony) which some may consider as rather heartless and it does in fact cause some of us to become very selfish. This issue has received much discussion through the ages and many consider that the pathologic sense of humour of ours is a coping mechanism of sorts. I am not here to refute or deny that claim; certainly, when encountering so much insensible suffering, one stops thinking and we tend to become rather time dependent in our empathy i.e. we consider the patient in front of us only for the time of the consultation. Indeed, were we to fully empathise with the people in front of us considering their lives beyond the consultation time, and give what our conscience is screaming at us to give, we may find ourselves in need of some fluoxetine.

Medicine can be a thoroughly disheartening field but it can also be satisfying to know that you have tangibly helped someone. We are lucky in that we get the best of both worlds, in that we earn money for what we do but we also get intellectual and emotional satisfaction. Throughout our experiences as medical professionals we will constantly encounter conflicting, complex and compelling emotions and ideas. Do you save the premature baby who you know will grow up to have a physically and intellectually difficult life, and whose father is an abusive alcoholic?

These are the sort of daily questions

with which we will no doubt become very familiar with, but what of the effect this has on us. Seeing human life in both its darkest moments and happiest moments get you thinking; why does it have to be like this? Life is beautiful. Did I do my best? What if it was my fault? I’m so tired and the patients don’t even appreciate what I do? Why is all so unfair? I did a good thing today.

These are ideas which force us to

question our principles and our motivations. There are naturally major intra-personal conflicts between what our rational mind tells us and what our emotions urge, besides the fact that both these two often tell us many things at once.

There is that entity which evolved somehow called the conscience, often the person many of us spend most of our time with, willingly or not.

The paradox of the modern world is illuminated in William Butler Yeats’ poem ‘The Second Coming’. He writes: “The best lack all conviction, while the worst // Are full of passionate intensity.”

The world is entering a very interesting point in its life. The east may well do to the west (forgive my use of the generalizations) what the west has done to east and south in the acute past, so that in the chronic past nothing will have changed. Major economic

crises bear down on those who did not cause them; the Large Hadron Collider is busy (being repaired); food is becoming ever-scarcer and more expensive; the number of poor people is increasing and so is the size of the hole in the atmosphere. Health care is becoming increasingly expensive, basic science is balancing a fine line between irrelevance and breakthroughs, and people are bombarded by choice which unwittingly causes a lot of our stress.

We hold meetings and conferences on all these great issues but we must really ask ourselves, is this money best spent.

LIFEAmidst all these problems and potholes, we still believe somewhere in our minds that the world can be better. As medical students, many of us we want to make a difference but don’t really know how to make a meaningful contribution. It is easy to say you want to do something than

to actually do it. I would suggest doing whatever it is you want to, as long as it doesn’t harm anyone else. That last sentence deserves a little dissecting.

Medicine remains a thoroughly enjoyable lifestyle for me and will almost certainly remain so. It is a secure job; you earn enough to support your family; it is emotionally, physically and intellectually stimulating; and it is a respectable past time. These things cannot be denied by someone who is limitedly noble. After all this though, maybe the reason why medicine is a reasonable way to spend our years is that we get the chance, the opportunity and the freedom to do something that we consider worthwhile.

I plan on sending a tissue sample of mine to a biotech company so that I can get my genome sequenced. And I’m quite sure that I would find that special medical professional’s humour gene somewhere in my AyeGeeTeaSeas.

Anand Naranbhai, Durban, South Africa

It is the human nature that graces all of us to be able to make a difference in our lives, the lives of those who we love and the lives of the others. But have you ever asked yourself, what does it take to make a difference? Is it an easy or a hard task?

Well, several philosophers have put a great effort to have an answer for these questions. These questions could only be answered by asking other questions.

To make a difference you should start by asking yourself this question; who am I? What I want of you is not to be hasty in answering this question , am not asking about your name . I am asking about your effects on life, the things that can only be done by you , a thing that represents you and only you , not a thing in common with others . If you can find an answer for that, this means that you can move to the second question.

What is your role in life? Some would jump off and say, I am going to be a doctor, treating sick people is going to be my role in life. Others might have similar answers that relate them to what they study, but is it really your role in life to do the things that you are studying? Let’s take the doctor as an example - doctors are not doctors 24/7. The effect of doctors in some communities is huge and extending to be a wise member, a counselor in some aspects of life and much other non-medical stuff. Lawyers, engineers and even those who we think that their role in life is many minimal can have huge impact in the life of others. So to answer that question you have to foresee your role and try to imagine the area that you affect and try to find what your real role in life is.

Being able to answer that leads to you the next questions; who needs you? By need we don’t mean those who are obliged to need you like family members or friends, but those who you know and even don’t really know, but the common thing about them is they all in a time of their lives needed you. Need could range from silly small things to huge and massive things.

Why do these people need you? Not a simple question to answer, is it love? Is it my money? Is it because am popular? You are the judge here.

Making a difference would be easier to accomplish when you know your capabilities , your aim in life and those who are affected by you and knowing why are they in need for you .

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

How to make a difference?Yet the most needed quality to be able to make a difference is to be successful. A definition of success is hard to obtain, everyone can make his or her own definition of success. A carpenter may say that success is to attract more customers, shoe repairing man might say that he is successful due to being popular among his fellow shoe repairing men. Another can define it by having friends with powerful politics. The list can go on and on, but the main thing in common is that these people are feeling good and happy because they are “Successful”.

But how can we obtain success? There is a so called thing called the success triad, which has skills as a base for it. After that comes the confidence of your skills that you have gained. To complete this triangle, there is effort, which has to be made in order to achieve the wanted success.

Skills differs and vary a lot but can be categorized under only six categories; learning skills, social skills, self management skills, project management skills, presentation skills and leading skills. Some of these skills are needed by some more than the others and in different degrees.

A major thing that contributes to these skills is a Japanese concept called “Kaizen” which means noticing small improvements over time .It is key to the Success Skills approach to set goals, develop plans, and monitor progress towards improved academic and social competence.

If you reflect these things on your daily life you would find that those who are capable of making a difference of their lives and the lives of others are those who fit all or some of the criteria mentioned above.

Mohammed Al-Bagir Ali Vice president (external Affairs)Kordofan Medical Students’ Association (KoMSA)Medical Students’ international network (MedSIN-Sudan)International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA)

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THE VOICE OF AFRICA

The Voice of Africa:student partnerships incampaigningIf there is one common bond that unites us across continents and borders; it is the vision of the highest attainable standard of health for all. We are all very aware of the challenges to this in Africa as in other countries: in achieving the Millennium Development Goals Africa is not on track. Many achievements have been made in recent times: expanding access to HIV therapy, school enrolment, access to water supplies, improved agricultural productivity; all of these and more have demonstrated that success is possible. Yet, stories and evidence is dispiriting in presenting the true extent of the task ahead of us in health improvement across the continent.

To face up to this challenge, communities and groups in the global North and Africa itself have been campaigning for change. This year, Medsin joined a global call to action of over 100 million people in the Stand Up Speak Out against global poverty (www.standupspeakout.org). We have been campaigning for more funding for health workers and healthcare systems globally with a humanitarian charity Merlin and passed a policy statement at MM09. In November we visited the Department for International Development (DFID) in the UK to discuss with UK ministers how water and sanitation programmes in developing countries should be run and designed. Finally, local work in Edinburgh finally paid off when they agreed to become the first British university

Medsin and the Lancet Editor, Rhona Macdonald meet Mike Foster to discuss Water and Sanitation

to help make cheap medicines available to developing countries through innovative patent policies (see ‘Edinburgh University forces firms to supply cheap medicines to developing world’).

We are proud of these achievements, and will go on to push further for improvements in a range of other areas. To achieve truly sustainable change however, it is becoming clear that our movement in the UK must broaden its reach. Past movements have connected communities from around the world, creating networks of passionate figures campaigning on issues such as the unjust trade in slaves long ago, or on HIV/AIDS in the current day.

The campaigns of our and other organisations must include the voice of communities in Africa, if they are to become truly legitimate and accountable to those affected by the issues on which we work. Wouldn’t it be inspiring if we joined hands in a struggle to improve health in the 21st century? We are asking therefore for youth leaders in each of our countries to reflect how they might contribute to this transnational movement of students cooperating for global justice. We have no image of what this will look like, or any directed plan for how it shall work. We have just one vision: of empowerment, of solidarity, and of sustainable change. We would like to hear your thoughts, and hope that you are as excited about this as we are.

Jonny Currie is the Medsin-UK Campaigns Director and can be reached at campaigns@medsin.org

References‘Edinburgh University forces firms to supply cheap medicines to developing world’. The Observer, Sunday 26 April 2009. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/apr/26/cheaper-medicines-edinburgh-university More information about our campaigns can be found at:http://www.medsin.org/campaigns

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MEDICAL MARRIAGES

Healthcare Information For All in Africa by 2015

HIFA2015 is a global email discussion group with a focus on the information and learning needs of healthcare providers in developing countries. The main focus is at the local level: households andcommunities, primary health workers, and health professionals working in district hospital facilities. HIFA2015 is open to anyone with an interest in improving healthcare in developing countries andmembership is free. Its goal is linked with the Millennium Development Goals: “By 2015, every person worldwide will have access to an informed healthcare provider.”

We are now planning a major initiative: Healthcare Information For All in Africa by 2015. We invite all medical students in Africa to join us and help us achieve a future where people in Africa are no longer dying for lack of essential healthcare information.

Why join HIFA2015?* Be part of a worldwide community of more than 2500 professionals dedicated to meet the information and learning needs of healthcare providers* Learn from others* Share your experience* Make new contacts and collaborations* Let others know about your interests, activities, services, publications* Find out about funding and training opportunities, useful websites, new publications... * Collaborate to achieve common goals

Please join today by sending an email to HIFA2015-admin@dgroups.org (or direct to neil.pakenham-walsh@ghi-net.org) with your name, organization, and a brief description of your professional interests. For further details, see www.hifa2015.org or contact the moderator, Neil Pakenham-Walsh: Neil.Pakenham-Walsh@ghi-net.org Here you will also find details of our sister list CHILD2015, whichexplores the information and learning needs of people who are responsible for the healthcare of children and the newborn.

Medical Marriagesby Sandra Danso-Bamfo (University of Ghana Medical School)

I’m sure many of you can relate to the following scenario: you meet someone for the first time, you introduce yourself and they enquire of what occupies you, reply that you’re in the medical school and more often than not, without provocation, exclaim that medical students like marrying themselves too much! Interestingly enough, this apparent trend of “Medical Marriages” is a new one and in view of this we decided to look a little more into it. By speaking to both medical students and doctors who, combined, have almost a century of married life between them for; it’s clear that neither group think the alleged trend is anything to be worried about.

According to Dr. Charlotte Osafo (Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Ghana), no one in her class married a fellow colleague; she believes that the most important thing to look for in a future life partner is she or he being committed to their faith. She advises that we, the up and coming, be mindful of the character of the person and not to ignore certain traits in the hope that they will miraculously disappear. As future professionals, it is most important that our future partners also be professionals but not necessarily in the same field. Being married to someone who shares your trade might allow you to share ideas with someone who fully understands and can appreciate its intricacies. Having someone they can relate to might be a blessing to some but to others, it can be seen as a monotonous relationship with both partners having the same experiences, the same stories to tell, and a lack of novelty. Especially for couples in the medical field, the lack of personal time and having to deal with morbid situations day in day out, will inevitably lead to a feeling of constantly being on the edge and somewhat instinctively dulled emotions which might take a toll on the relationship.

Prof. Adjepon-Yamoah (KBTH) advises that such couples make the special effort to ensure that at least one of them spends an appreciable amount of time with their children. This might take a lot of planning, compromise, and one might end up running shifts at home just as they do at work but it is important to ensure that neither your children nor your marriage suffer because of your job. Medical students on the other hand are less cautious about the idea of marrying a colleague and seem to think someone who is close by (in the same hostel or hospital) that shares your interests and can complement you financially is a Godsend.

This seems to apply to most medical students both home and away, for example, in Brazil, students enter the medical school straight from high school, and most times the medical school is attached to a teaching hospital quite some distance from the main university campus, over 50% of students are in Medical Relationships. In countries where medical students spend some years at university prior to medical school proper, the prevalence is of “medico-medico” dating is lower. In Ghana the trend seems to be about 10% for marriages over the years (from the late 90’s to date) but interestingly

FROM BURKINA FASO

enough the number of medical couples per class is much lower, probably because of the frequency of inter-year group relationships. The only dicey issue is that of students getting married whilst still in school, but here again, most feel that if the couple think they can juggle both responsibilities then kudos to them. This is especially common in countries where medicine is traditionally female dominated like Eastern Europe.

After speaking to Consultants whose spouses just so happen to be consultants in our very own KBTH, some of whom are approaching the 40 year mark, it’s clear that sharing a professional isn’t necessarily an ingredient in the recipe for a good marriage. Every single one of them says the important thing is to follow your heart and if it leads you to the occupant of the 3rd seat from the wall in the 5th row of your class, then so be it.

Prof Neequaye (KBTH ) can boast of a “medical marriage” that has lasted 4 decades and his opinion is almost priceless in terms of promoting longevity of any type of marriage. The concept of ‘growing old together’ in a marriage isn’t as clichéd as some might make it seem. On the contrary, marriages tend to dissolve when one partner outgrows the other so it is important to discern whether your beau/belle has similar aspirations and appears to be ‘growing’ and going in your direction. The discipline of medicine has advantages in that it encourages intellectual growth albeit professionally, but this still has good personal implications for the individual. Simply put, people marry when they feel they’re compatible and can live together happily (ever after); they divorce when they (or one of them) realise that they are not as compatible as previously thought and cannot live together happily. Ironically most of the cited reasons were more often than not, apparent from the get go (another reason to keep a very open mind when dating)

Dr (Mr) Akpalu (KBTH) summed it up quite nicely: Medical Marriages are not as boring as some might think, but that is as long as the individuals themselves are not boring, hence we should all make the effort to take up hobbies and other non-medical activities and associations to give the necessary variety and breadth to our lives and prevent burn out.

Medical Students of Burkina are fighting against hunger and malnutrition.

On Sunday 07 June, the 5th ‘Fight Hunger, Walk the world’ campaign took place in Ouagadougou, Burkina. The activity is jointly organized by the world food program (WFP) representation of Burkina and other organizations. In Burkina Faso, ‘Walk the World’ has also become a flagship event for the women of the country. Under the patronage of the first lady and many other eminent persons and authorities, the walk and concert that took place the day before the walk attracted 15,000 people.

The Medical students of Burkina in the organization "AEM/Burkina Faso" had an important involvement in that noble activity and medical students were part of the organizing committee as in charge of logistics and health by providing healthcare to the few cases that happened during the activity. All the health committee were composed of medical students. The march is the key point of a fundraising campaign from June to September 09 to raise money for school canteens. In many rural areas of Burkina Faso, the only way to increase school frequentation is to provide pupils food during all year and it is often the best meal children receive for the day.

The NMO president was in charge of the logistics staff and the NMO proudly received a congratulation letter from the WFP for our appreciated involvement.To date, a total amount of 20 million FCFA is already collected and all the Organizing Committee hope that we'll reach the amount of 30, our goal for the next year!

Abdrahamane Ouedraogo

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The organizing committe together with Burkina Faso’s first lady Burkina Faso NMO president and popular Burkina Faso musician

Prevention remains better than cure

Did you know that Every year, at least 7 million people die from Cancers? This is more than HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis combined!!!!

Worse still, the high incidence of cancer is omniously shifting from developed countries to poorer less medically equipped nations. Mortality and disease burden from cancers will continue to increase and the WHO projects that over the next ten years, deaths due to non-communicable diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases) will increase in the African region by 27% if adequate measures are not embarked upon (2008-2013 WHO Action Plan for the global strategy for the Prevention and control of non-communicable Diseases).

Many years ago, people from developing countries did not consider Cancers as being a “killer of the poor”. How quickly that is changing. You look at the figures today and you will realise that the incidence of cancers in Africa are rising along similar lines as the global trend.

I guess at this point, the question of why the “disease of the wealthy” has come down on “poor” begins to cross many minds. This is quite simple to answer. People just simply stopped eating healthy, stopped exercising themselves, started smoking and increased their alcohol misuse, and well, they never used to take hepatitis-b and human papilloma virus vaccinations anyway.

When you consider the fact that 40% of cancers are preventable and involve avoidance of risk factors that include tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful misuse of alcohol, you begin to envision the possible

From the Project Department, Medical Students’ Association-Sierra Leone

input of the medical student. As annual Cancer deaths total more than HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria combined, you realise that medical student advocacy for cancer prevention has to be increased and intensified. Medical students have over the years started cancer awareness campaigns, will it be wrong however to say we need more? Will it be wrong to crave that we channel

more energy to cancer prevention campaigns? Will it be wrong to ask more people to share their stories that others may learn? Isn’t that one big benefit from being part of this great federation, the IFMSA that we all love so much?

Seeing as the demands that non-communicable diseases place on patients, families and health-care systems are also similar to those imposed by some communicable diseases, comparable strategies are effective for their management. Cancer awareness campaigns, some think, do not need a completely new list of strategies when compared to

our on-going TB or Malaria or HIV/AIDS campaigns. As our strategies towards HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria have been filled with success stories, I do believe that our campaigns towards increasing cancer awareness will follow the same lines.

As important as early detection, cure, care and management are towards reducing the global burden of cancers, prevention still remains key. And medical students are great at advocacy and educating people. We do need to bring this positive wind of intense medical student involvement to the board and get the people in our communities to know about cancer prevention.

The global burden of non-communicable diseases continues to grow; tackling it constitutes one of the major challenges for development in the twenty-first century. Non-communicable diseases, principally cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases, caused an estimated 35 million deaths in 2005. This figure represents 60% of all deaths globally, with 80% of deaths due to non-communicable diseases occurring in low- and middle-income countries, and approximately 16 million deaths involving people under 70 years of age.

HEALTHY LIVING & CANCERS:

Jalikatu MustaphaNMO President

Medical Students' Association-Sierra Leone (MSA-SL)Tel: 232-33-350311

AFRICAN MEDICAL SCHOOLSALGERIA

Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de ConstantineTel: +213 31 64 16 07 , Fax: +213 31 94 36 77

Ferhat Abbas University of Setif, Institute of Medical Scienceshttp://www.semepsetif.edu.dz/Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire, Sétif 19000Tel: +213 3 691 385, Fax: +213 3 691 385

Université Abou Bekr Belkaid, Tlemcen, Institute of Medical Scienceshttp://www.univ-tlemcen.dz/Tlemcen

Université Badji Mokhtar - Annaba, Faculté de Médecinehttp://www.univ-annaba.org/B.P. 205, Route Zafrania, AnnabaTel: +213 8 831 147, Fax: +213 8 831 630

Universite d’Alger, Institut National d’Enseignement Superieur en Scienceshttp://www.univ-alger.dz/Avenue Ahmed Ghermoul, B.P. 30, AlgiersTel: +213 2 64 6970, Fax: +213 2 63 5303

Université Djillali Liabès de Sidi Bel-Abbès, Institute of Medical Scienceshttp://www.univ-sba.dz/Sidi Bel Abbes 22000

Université d'Oran Es-Seniahttp://www.univ-oran.dz/Chemin Vicinal, Route es-SeniaElmenaouer 1510, OranTel: +213 6 340 602, Fax: +213 6 340 604

Université Mentouri Constantine, School of Medicinehttp://www.univ-constantine.dzB.P. 325, Route Ain El-Bey, 25017 ConstantineTel: +213 31 61 43 48 , Fax: +213 31 61 43 49

Université Mouloud Mammeri de Tizi-Ouzou, Faculté de Médecinehttp://www.ummto.dz/Route de Hasnaoua, Tizi-Ouzou 15000Tel: +213 3 217 381, Fax: +213 3 211 960

University of Batna, Institute of Medical Scienceshttp://www.univ-batna.dz/Rue Chahid Boukhlouf Mohammed El-Hadi, Batna 05000Tel: +213 4 854 962, Fax: +213 4 850 392

University of Blida, Institute of Medical Scienceshttp://www.univ-blida.dz/ Route de Soumaa, B.P. 270, Blida 09000Tel: +213 3 415 853, Fax: +213 3 417 813

ANGOLA

University Agostinho Neto, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.uan.ao/AV. 4 de Fevereiro, No 7Tel: +244 2 383 872

BURKINA FASO

University of Ouagadougou, Faculty of Health Scienceshttp://www.univ-ouaga.bf/B.P. 7021, OuagadougouTel: +226 307 543, Fax: +226 312 639

CAMEROON

Universite de Yaounde I, Faculte des Sciences Biomedicaleshttp://www.uninet.cm/B.P. 1364YaoundeTel: +237 310 586, Fax: +237 311 224

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Universite de Bangui, Faculte des Sciences de la SanteAvenue de MartyrsB.P. 1450, BanguiTel: +236 611 767 , Fax: +236 617 890

CHAD

Faculte Des Sciences de la SanteB.P. 1117N’DjamenaTel: +235 517 144 , Fax: +235 514 033

COTE D’LVOIRE

Universite de Bouaké, Faculté de MedecineB.P. V 18, Bouaké 01Tel: +225 634 232, Fax: +225 651 434

Universite d’ Abidjan-Cocody, Faculté de MedecineB.P. V 166, AbidjanTel: +225 444 216, Fax: +225 443 531

DEM. REP. OF CONGO

Université Catholique de Bukavu, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.ucbukavu.org/B.P. 285, BukavuTel: +243 88 87 762

University of Kinshasa, Faculty of Medicinehttp://unikin.sciences.free.fr/B.P. 834, KinshasaTel: +243 12 30 123

University of Kisangani, Faculty of MedicineB.P. 2012, Kisangani

University of Lumumbashi, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.unilu.net/B.P. 1825, LubumbashiTel: +243 22 23 315

EGYPT

Ain Shams University, Faculty of Medicinehttp://asunet.shams.eun.eg/Kasr-El-Zaafaran, Abbassia, CairoTel: +20 2 283 4573 , Fax: +20 2 243 9622

Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.azharmed.eg.net/Meddina Nasr, Abbassia, CairoTel: +20 2 904 051, Fax: +20 2 611 414

Cairo University, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.cu.edu.eg/Faculties/Medicine.aspPO Box 12611, Orman, GizaTel: +20 25 729 584 , Fax: +20 26 28 884

Mansoura University, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.mans.edu.eg24 El Gomhoria Street, Mansoura 35516

Tel: +20 50 348 203 , Fax: +20 50 348 203

Minufiya University, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.menofia.edu.eg/Gamal Abdel Nasser Street, Shebin El-KomTel: +20 48 322 170 , Fax: +20 48 777 620

Suez Canal University, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.suez.edu.eg/Ismailia Campus, Al-Sheik Zayed, Ismailia 41522Tel: +20 64 226 539 , Fax: +20 64 328 543

Tanta University, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.tanta.edu.egEl Geish Street, TantaTel: +20 40 333 7544, Fax: +20 40 330 2785

University of Alexandria, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.alex.edu.eg/22 Al-Geish AvenueEl-Shatby, Alexandria 21411Tel: +20 3 597 1675 , Fax: +20 3 596 0720

University of Assiut, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.aun.eun.eg/Assiut City 71515Tel: +20 88 332 350 , Fax: +20 88 332 278

University of Minia, Faculty of MedicineMiniahttp://www.minia.edu.eg/Tel: +20 86 324 420 , Fax: +20 86 342 601

Zagazig University, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.zu.edu.eg/Sharkia, ZagazigTel: +20 55 747 875 , Fax: +20 55 345 452

ETHIOPIA

Addis Ababa University, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.aau.edu.et/P.O. Box 1176, Addis AbabaTel: +251 518 999, Fax: +251 513 099

Addis Ababa University, Gondar College of Medical Scienceshttp://www.telecom.net.et/~gcms/GondarTel: +251 8 110 174 , Fax: +251 8 111 479

Jimma University, School of Medicinehttp://www.telecom.net.et/~junv.edu/P.O. Box 378, JimmaTel: +251 7 111 457 , Fax: +251 7 110 450

GABON

Université Omar Bongo, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé (FMSS)B.P. 4009LibrevilleTel: +241 70 37 18 , Fax: +241 73 20 72

GHANA

University of Ghana, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.ug.edu.gh/P.O. Box 4236, AccraTel: +233 21 666 987 , Fax: +233 21 663 062

University of Science and Technology, School of Medicinehttp://www.knust.edu.gh/University Post Office, KumasiTel: +233 51 603 03 , Fax: +233 51 603 02

13

GUINEA

University of Conakry, Faculty of Medical SciencesRoute de Dixinn, B.P. 1017, ConakryTel: +224 414 689, Fax: +224 414 801

GUINEA-BISSAU

Escola Superior de Medecina Eduardo MondlaneB.P. 427, BissauTel: +245 203 089 , Fax: +245 201 107

LIBERIA

University of Liberia, A.M. Dogliotti College of Medicinehttp://members.aol.com/_ht_a/drconteh/myhomepage/ P.O. Box 1018, Monrovia

LIBYA

Al-Arab Medical University, Faculty of MedicineP.O. Box 18251, Hawari Road, BenghaziTel: +218 61 225 007 , Fax: +218 61 222 195

Sebha University, Faculty of MedicineP.O. Box 19838, SebhaTel: +218 71 629 293 , Fax: +218 71 635 593

Tahaddi University, Faculty of MedicineP.O. Box 674, SurtTel: +218 54 621 50, Fax: +218 54 4373

University of Al-Fateh for Medical Science, Faculty of MedicineP.O. Box 13040, TripoliTel: +218 21 333 6010 , Fax: +218 21 360 2971

MADAGASCAR

Université d’Antananarivo, Faculté de Médecine *http://www.univ-antananarivo.mg/Campus Universitaire d'AnkatsoB.P. 375, Antananarivo 101Tel: +261 20 22 277 04 , Fax: +261 20 22 297 71

Université de Mahajanga, Faculté de Médecinehttp://www.univ-mahajanga.mgEtablissement d'Enseignment Supérieur des Sciences de la SantéImmeuble Kakal, 5 rue Georges V, Mahajanga BeBP 652, Ambodrona, Mahajanga 401Tel: +261 20 62 22176 , Fax: +261 20 62 23312

MALI

University of Mali, School of Medicine, Pharmacy and of OndotostomatologyB.P. 1805, Bamako 223Tel: +223 225 277, Fax: +223 229 658

MOROCCO

Université Cadi Ayyad, Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie de Marrakechhttp://www.ucam.ac.ma/B.P. 7010, Sidi Abbad, 40000 MarrakechTel: +212 44 437 031, Fax: +212 44 432 887

Université de Marrakech, Faculté de Medicine et PharmacieB.P. 8123 l'Oasis, MarrakechTel: +212 2 268 819, Fax: +212 2 268 819

Université Hassan II Aïn ChockFaculté de Medicine et Pharmacie, Casablancahttp://www.fmp-uh2c.ac.ma/19, Rue Tarik Ibn ZiadB.P. 9154 Mers Sultan, Casablanca 20000Tel: +212 2 271 630, Fax: +212 2 261 453

Université Mohammed V, Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie de Rabathttp://www.emi.ac.ma/univ-MdV/FMP.htmlCharii Maa-Al-Ainain Madinat Al IrfaneB.P. 6203 Rabat Instituts, RabatTel: +212 7 770 421, Fax: +212 7 773 701

MOZAMBIQUE

Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Faculdade de Medicinahttp://www.uem.mz/Avenida Dr Salvador AllendeCP 257, MaputoTel: +258 1 497 252, Fax: +258 1 425 255

NIGER

Abdou Moumouni University of Niamey, Faculty of Medical Scienceshttp://www.uni-hohenheim.de/~atlas308/gen_info/html/english/uam_engl.htmB.P. 237NiameyTel: +227 73 27 13, Fax: +227 73 38 62

NIGERIA

Abia State University, Faculty of Health Scienceshttp://www.abia-state-uni.net/Private Mail Bag 2000, Uturu, Abia StateTel: +234 88 220 785

Ahmadu Bello University, College of Medicine and Health SciencesPrivate Mail Bag 1008, Zaria, Kaduna StateTel: +234 69 32688

Bayero University, Faculty of MedicinePrivate Mail Bag 3011, KanoTel: +234 064 661 480 6

Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Faculty of MedicineSultan Abubakar Road, Private Mail Bag 2346Sokoto 02254, Sokoto StateTel: +234 60 233 221 , Fax: +234 60 230 709

Obafemi Awolowo University, College of Health Scienceshttp://www.oauife.edu.ngPrivate Mail Bag 5538, Ile-IfeTel: +234 36 230 294

Ogun State University, College of MedicinePrivate Mail Bag 2002, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun StateTel: +234 36 233 134 , Fax: +234 36 233 134

University of Awka, College of Health SciencesNnewi Campus, Private Mail Bag 15, Nnewi, Anambra StateTel: +234 46 463 663 , Fax: +234 46 460 124

University of Benin, College of Medical Scienceshttp://www.uniben.edu/School of Medicine, Ugbowo Campus, Private Mail Bag 1154Benin City, Bendel, Edo StateTel: +234 52 600 151 , Fax: +234 52 600 273

University of Calabar, Faculty of MedicinePrivate Mail Bag 1115, Ugbowo, Calabar, Cross River StateTel: +234 87 222 855 , Fax: +234 87 221 766

University of Ibadan, College of Medical Scienceshttp://www.ui.edu.ng/University College Hospital, Queen Elizabeth RoadPrivate Mail Bag 5017, Ibadan, Oyo StateTel: +234 2 241 3922 , Fax: +234 2 241 1768

University of Ilorin, College of MedicinePrivate Mail Bag 1515, Ilorin, Kwara StateTel: +234 31 221 844

University of Jos, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.uiowa.edu/intlinet/unijos/Main Campus - Bauchi Road, Private Mail Bag 2084, Jos, Plateau StateTel: +234 73 612 513 933

University of Lagos, Faculty of Medical Sciences (MEDILAG)http://www.unilag.edu/Faculties/CMUL/Private Mail Bag 12003, Idi-Araba, LagosTel: +234 1 832 049 , Fax: +234 1 837 630

University of Maiduguri, College of Medical SciencesPrivate Mail Bag 1069, Maiduguri, Borno StateTel: +234 076 232 537

University of Nigeria, College of Medical Sciences, NsukkaEnugu Campus, Private Mail Bag 01129, Enugu, AnambraoyoAnambraTel: +234 42 253 397

University of Port Harcourt, Faculty of MedicineEast-West Road, Private Mail Bag 5323, Choba, Port Harcourt, Rivers StateTel: +234 084 334 400

REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Université Marien Ngouabi, Institut Superieur des Sciences de la Sante (INSSSA)B.P. 2672, BrazzavilleTel: +242 813 931 , Fax: +242 833 224

SENEGAL

Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Faculty of Médecin, de Pharmacie Et D’odontoStomatologiehttp://www.ucad.sn/81 Boulevard de La Republique, B.P. 5005, DakarTel: +221 245 588, Fax: +221 825 37 24

SIRRA LEONE

University of Sierra Leone, Faculty of Medicine and PharmacyPrivate Mail BagFreetownTel: +232 22 240 583 , Fax: +232 22 222 161

SOMALIA

Amoud University, College of Medicine and Medical Scienceshttp://www.amoud-University.borama.ac.so/P.O. Box 99, Borama, AwdalTel: +252 821 0029 , Fax: +252 821 0016

Benadir University, Faculty of Medicine *P.O. Box 18MogadishuTel: +2521 225363 , Fax: +2521 658 995

SOUTH AFRICA

Medical University of Southern Africa (MEDUNSA), Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.medunsa.ac.za/

MEDICAL SCHOOLS IN AFRICA

14

P.O. Box 210, Pretoria 0204Tel: +27 12 529 4321 , Fax: +27 12 529 5811

University of Cape Town, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.uct.ac.za/Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, Cape ProvinceTel: +27 21 406 6107 , Fax: +27 21 478 955

University of Natal, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.nu.ac.za/department/default.asp?dept=medicineundUmbilo Road, Private Bag 7, Durban, 4041, Kwazulu/NatalTel: +27 31 260 4232 , Fax: +27 31 260 4410

University of Pretoria, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences *http://www.up.ac.za/P.O. Box 667, Pretoria 0001Tel: +27 12 354 2386 , Fax: +27 12 329 1351

University of Stellenbosch, Faculty of Health Sciences - School of Medicine *http://academic.sun.ac.za/healthsciences/P.O. Box 19063, Tygerberg 7505Tel: +27 21 938 9111 , Fax: +27 21 931 7810

University of the Orange Free State, Faculty of Medicine *http://www.uovs.ac.za/P.O. Box 339Bloemein 9300Tel: +27 51 401 2847 , Fax: +27 51 444 3103

University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Medicine *http://www.wits.ac.za/fac/med/medfac.html7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg 2193Tel: +27 11 717 2000 , Fax: +27 11 643 4318

University of Transkei (UNITRA), Faculty of Medicine and Health Scienceshttp://www.utr.ac.za/2 East London Road, Private Bag 11, Umtata 5117, Eastern CapeTel: +27 471 302 233 , Fax: +27 471 302 235

SUDAN

University of Khartoum, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.uofk.edu/academics/medicine/medicine.htmP.O. Box 1063, Medical Sciences Campus, Al-Quasr Avenue, KhartoumTel: +249 11 772 224 , Fax: +249 11 780 295

Academy of Medical Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Medical SciencesP.O. Box 12810, Khartoum StateTel: +249 11 724 762 , Fax: +249 11 724 799

Ahfad University for Women, Faculty of Medicine and Health Scienceshttp://www.ahfad.org/programs/undergraduate/medicine/P.O. Box 167, OmdurmanTel: +249 11 451 664 , Fax: +249 11 452 076

El Fasher University, Faculty of Medicine andHealth SciencesP.O. Box 125, North Darfur StateTel: +249 527 43394, Fax: +249 527 52111

El-Zaiem El-Azhari University, Faculty of MedicineP.O. Box 1933, OumdarmanTel: +249 11 560 501 , Fax: +249 11 562 536

Kassala University, College of MedicineWest Bank of Cash River, P.O. Box 266, Kassala StateTel: +249 20 772 095

Omdurman Islamic University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Scienceshttp://sudanimoscow.freeservers.com/

UMDURMAN.HTMP.O. Box 382, Omdurman, Khartoum StateTel: +249 11 511 524 , Fax: +249 11 775 253

Shandi University, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesP.O. Box 142, Shandi, Nahr el Neel StateTel: +249 11 2814

University of Bahr el-Ghazal, School of MedicineP.O. Box 30, Waw County, North Bahr el-Ghazal State

University of El-Imam El-Mahdi, School of MedicineP.O. Box 209, Kosti, White Nile StateTel: +249 71 220 022

University of Gezira, Faculty of Medicine and Health Scienceshttp://www.gezirauniversity.net/P.O. Box 20, Wad MedaniTel: +249 51 143 174, Fax: +249 51 140 466

University of Juba, Faculty of MedicineP.O. Box 321/1 or P.O. Box 82Khartoum Centre, JubaTel: +249 11 451 353 , Fax: +249 11 451 351

University of Kordofan, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.uni-kordofan.comP.O. Box 517, 51111 El Obayid, North Kordofan StateTel: +249 11 813 307

Upper Nile University, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesP.O. Box 1660, Upper Nile StateTel: +249 11 222 174

TANZANIA

Hubert Kairuki Memorial University (HKMU), Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.angelfire.com/mb/hkmu/facult.html322 Regent Estate, P.O. Box 65300, Dar es SalaamTel: +255 22 270 0021 , Fax: +255 22 277 5591

Tumaini University, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College KCMC - Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.kcmc.ac.tz/KCM%20College.htmKilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi Town, Kilimanjaro RegionTel: +255 55 543 77, Fax: +255 55 543 81

University of Dar es Salaam, Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences - Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.muchs.ac.tz/P.O. Box 65001, Dar es SalaamTel: +255 22 215 03026, Fax: +255 22 215 1596

Vignan’s International Medical & Technological University, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.imtu.edu/P.O. Box No. 77594, Saruji Complex, New Bagamayo Road, Dar es SalaamTel: +255 51 647 257, Fax: +255 51 647 038

TOGO

Université du Bénin au Togo, Faculté de Médecine de Loméhttp://www.ub.tg/ub/facultes/fmmp/fmmp.htmBoîte Postale 1515, LoméTel: +228 252 787, Fax: +228 258 784

TUNISIA

http://www.fmt.rnu.tn/9 Rue Zouhaïer Essafi, 1000 TunisTel: +216 3 222 600, Fax: +216 3 224 899

Université de Sfax pour le Sud, Faculté de médecine de Sfaxhttp://www.mes.tn/

Avenue Majida Bou Leila - 3029, 3003 SfaxTel: +216 4 241 888, Fax: +216 4 246 217

Université du Centre, Faculté de médecine de Soussehttp://www.angelfire.com/yt/AssociaMedSousse/Avenue Mohamed Karoui, 4002 SousseTel: +216 3 222 600, Fax: +216 3 224 899

Université du Centre, Faculté de Médecine de Monastirhttp://www.medlegmonastir.org/ Rue Avicenne, 5000 MonastirTel: +216 3 460 200, Fax: +216 3 460 737

UGANDA

Kigezi International School of Medicine *http://www.kigezi.edu/P.O. Box 7, KabaleTel: +256 248 220 06

Makerere University, Faculty of Medicine *http://www.makerere.ac.ug/P.O. Box 7072, KampalaTel: +256 41 530 020 , Fax: +256 41 530 022

Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicinehttp://www.must.ac.ug/P.O. Box 1410, MbararaTel: +256 485 207 82 , Fax: +256 485 213 73

ZAMBIA

University of Zambia, School of Medicinehttp://www.unza.zm/P.O. Box 50110, LusakaTel: +260 1 252 641 , Fax: +260 1 250 753

ZIMBABWE

University of Zimbabwe, Faculty of Medicinehttp://uzweb.uz.ac.zw/medicine/P.O. Box A 178, Avondale, HarareTel: +263 479 1631 ext 245, Fax: +263 472 4912

MEDICAL SCHOOLS IN AFRICA

15

HEALTH EDUCATION

16

A Week-LongHealth Education

Recently held national health weeks try to raise awareness and educate the community. These have proven to be one of the most effective ways we have ever seen within IFMSA.

Medical students from Ghana, Nigeria and Sudan are organising a project in an adapted but still similar way. The idea is to coordinate all medical students of a faculty or even all national medical students to visit the rural areas of the country. Teams of 2 – 4 students spend a few days, up to a week, in one region of the country. The local doctor organises their accommodation and food and the possibilities to visit as many people as possible. They are approaching people at the church, the market or at faculties, talking to them about one common topic, e.g. healthy lifestyle, maternal health etc.

In Ghana the medical students are reaching around 2.000.000 (!!) people every year through this education program. This number might seem completely unrealistic for you but I even saw it with my own eyes when I joined the National Health Week of Ghana two years ago. A few hundred teams of medical students got spread all over the country and my own team which consisted of 3 people reached at least one or two thousand people during this week. And this happened just in Ghana, a relatively small country with 3 medical schools. Nigeria is running a similar project organised by 28 (!) medical schools, Sudan uses the same tool to raise awareness for public health issues in their country… Are you aware what that means?

How to start a National Health Week?

If you would like to use this project idea to promote public health also in your country you have to consider two things: The medical students & the community you want to reach.

You can start with the medical students of your own faculty and extend it up to a nation wide event. In Ghana they are supported by their government and every medical student has one week off to join this event. Everybody joins it. For the beginning you can also start with one school, which means you will have to contact your Dean to ask for one week off or at least for one day, to have this event from Friday to Sunday during the first year.

As a next step you have to think about the community. The medical students can be sent by bus to different areas of your country or your region. You have to think about what is the best way to approach the people. To make this possible you will need to get in contact with the local doctor or the traditional chief of this area / village. By them you will need accommodation for the students and already arranged meetings with the church, market, schools, faculties and wherever else you can approach lots of people.

It is definitely more than worth it to try it and you and the medical students who join it will love this great experience for sure, to learn about medicine in a different way, to approach people directly and last but not least to get to know your own country and its rural areas even better!

This is a unique project in IFMSA. It pushes the idea of being ‘effective’ to its limit and the organising countries can be more than proud of it. Every NMO of IFMSA should think about how to adapt this project idea to its own countries needs, it’s a fantastic concept which can be organised all over the world – also in your NMO. Next year this project will celebrate its 42nd birthday in Ghana and the time has come to use the network of IFMSA to spread it around the globe! That is why I would like to encourage the organising countries to promote this idea as strongly as they can. Everybody should know what you are doing because everybody else can make it happen too.

Florian Stigler IFMSA Director on Public Health

AFRICAN MEDICS AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Attitude or Understanding?!

African nations have developed greater awareness of the impacts of climate change on the continent and increased high-level attention is now being paid to climate security and stability. However, this is an area that still incites little or no contribution from African medical students.

Global warming is a major challenge, as the global temperature has risen by 0.6 ºC since 1860. Africa experienced an atmospheric temperature rise of 0.7 ºC in the 20th century and the last two decades of the century were the hottest on record. These climatic changes have increased the frequency of floods and droughts in Africa, and altered the dynamics of disease agents and vectors and ecosystems, especially in relation to species composition, food production and food security.

Many will ask: Why worry about something that wouldn’t kill us now, when there are so many things that take lives today?

This in essence rings true as people get through personal conflicts, conflicts on the national and international level, infectious diseases and inadequate health care services. Any of which people believe, can claim more lives in a short time frame, than issues of climate change. Talking to fellow African

medical students makes it crystal clear that most hold personal beliefs that infectious diseases and inadequate health care services lead to a lot of deaths and should stand out as a priority for African medical students.

However, considering that ninety per cent of all natural hazards and disasters are linked to climate variability with economic losses suffered by countries which have experienced such events being as high as 85 per cent; marine, coastal and freshwater ecosystems have been drastically altered over the past 50 years, reducing their productivity, resilience to stress, and potential to contribute to future food security; and that climate change has a detrimental impact on rainfall, food security, water and energy resources (e.g. hydropower), it does call for a re-think.

It is evident to all that poverty and food shortage contribute largely to malnutrition which plays a major role in the high under 5 mortality rates across Africa. Additionally, human activities have, since the pre-Industrial Era (~1750), resulted in the release of large quantities of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere in the following proportions: CO2 by 30 per cent, CH4 by over 100 per cent and N2O by 15 per cent. Agriculture currently contributes

58 and 47 per cent of the global anthropogenic emissions of CH4 and N2O, respectively.

This implies that the damage has long been done. The ball of climate change was already set rolling, long before our day. Members of our ancestral heritage considered this to be “a killer in the future” (we of course agree with them). Only problem is that “the future” is now. Poverty and malnutrition are contributing to loss of lives every day and there is no need to overstate the fact that the former may arguably be the single most important contributing factor to Africa’s lack of development or baby steps to it.

We as medical students, future health care professionals and stakeholders in health issues have to step up and make our voices heard. We have set up campaigns on numerous other issues and let our voices be heard. We can do the same again. We can call people’s attention to this issue of climate change which has definitely come knocking on our door.

Today just might be rescued for the good of tomorrow.

Reference:Report of the Economic Commission for Africa, Africa Union and Science With Africa theme work on Climate change for Africa

By Kaduru C

CLIMATE CHANGE

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IFMSA PROJECTS IN AFRICA

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IFMSA PROJECTS IN AFRICA A SNAPSHOT

The African Sub Region is great place for anyone wanting to get involved in trying to achieve better health for all.

As part of the efforts of the Standing Committee on Professional Exchange (SCOPE) to expand its activities and promote participation within the African Sub region, the NEAT programme was set up. The NEAT (NEO Exchange and Training) programme seeks to train National Exchange Officers how to properly establish and run the exchange program in their NMO’S. This is to encourage more NMOs in the African Sub region to get actively involved in SCOPE and officially start running SCOPE locally and nationally.

Countries currently enrolled in the programme are South Africa and Mozambique. As part of the programme the National Exchange Officers of the understudying countries will travel to a host country under a free unilateral exchange to experience how the hosts organise and run their professional exchange programme. We believe this will encourage more African countries to take up SCOPE by gaining first-hand experience in the benefits it has to offer and logistics and technicalities involved. It is also hoped that the programme will soon be expanded to include more African countries that will in turn join our happy SCOPE family.

In Africa, Nigeria and Sudan have projects running under SCORA. The projects in Sudan include the Anti Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) campaign, with the aim to raise awareness in the societies that practise FGM and those that don’t; stopping the deadly combination between HIV and TB, which seeks to increase awareness of HIV/TB co-infection; the prevention of stigmatization of People Living With HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) and TB; and reducing the prevalence of HIV/TB co-infection. Sudan also runs a SCORA exchange in which 10 students are selected to receive lectures and attend seminars for 3 weeks, on reproductive health and HIV AIDS. NIMSA (Nigeria) have SCORA projects running, namely, Widows Living with HIV/AIDS, the HIV/TB initiative and Stop That Discrimination. The aims of which are to improve the well-being of PLWHA especially women who have been widowed by AIDS and have also been infected by their partners, and to assist the Nigerian Government in its efforts to eradicate TB and ensure that majority of PLWHA have access to ARVs respectively.

The only country that runs SCORP based programmes in our region is Sudan. The aim of the transnational project that MedSIN-Sudan run, called Peace Test, is to measure the attitudes of secondary school students towards violent versus peaceful solutions to conflicts. Other countries running the Peace Test project include Armenia, Austria and Mexico. In addition, MedSIN-Sudan have projects aimed at teaching medical students about ethics, advocating for patient rights, community education on gender based and racial discrimination and increasing awareness of conflict resolution among the youth. Their projects involve working with street children and providing them health education, food and clothing.

A lot is being done in Africa, but there is yet a lot more to do. We as African members strive to get more of our compatriots into the IFMSA. For those who are already members, we should try to encourage more participation.

Thinking globally and acting locally is what the IFMSA is about.

Sandra Danso-BamfoFGhanaMSA

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NMO EVENTSAEM-Burkina FasoNational Meeting and Training weekend in Ouagadougou: 6th – 7th February, 2010

FGMSA (Ghana)National Meeting and Training weekend in Accra:National Health Week: 21st – 26th September, 2009

IFMSA-MozambiqueNational Meeting in Maputo: 21st – 25th September, 2009

NiMSA (Nigeria) National Meeting in Awka: 3rd – 5th September, 2009National Forum on Medical Education in Ilorin: 28th – 29th July, 2009

MSA-Sierra LeoneNational Meeting and Training weekend in Freetown: October, 2009

SAMSA (South Africa)National Meeting and Training weekend in Durban: 28th – 30th August, 2009

MedSAR (Rwanda)National Meeting in Butare: 21st August, 2009

MedSIN SudanNational meeting in Khartoum from 7th - 10th October, 2009

OTHERS59th Regional Commission of WHO-AFRO in Kigali, Rwanda31st August – 4th September, 2009

IFMSA African Regional Meeting 2009 in Portsudan, SudanDecember, 2009

IFMSA Africa 1st West Arica Sub-Regional Training (SRT) in Accra, Ghana8th -10th January, 2010

59th General Assembly March Meeting of IFMSA in Bangkok, ThailandMarch, 2010

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Announcements

MAP OF AFRCA

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