I can’t believe I am already leaving to Malawi in less than a week! Since classes got out I have been preparing for the next three months in Blantyre, and yet I don’t think even the most thoughtful packing can prepare me for the experience I will have this summer. I have learned from the little traveling I’ve done that even in the most foreign places, there are always certain things that bring different people together–religion, music, and the great outdoors to name a few. This summer I am hoping my passion for global health will help me connect with the people in Malawi and make a lasting impact through my work. Ideally, the lessons I will learn and the invaluable experience I will gain will also allow me to apply my knowledge to developing countries beyond Malawi as well. This semester in particular I have realized how truly complex global health problems become in developing countries. I love that Rice gives us not only the technical knowledge to design and build innovative devices, but also the skills to thoroughly understand and asses the myriad of factors that impact the successful use of global health technologies, including economic, political, and cultural barriers that may arise. I look forward to witnessing Rice students’ solutions to some of these challenges and learning more about the ins and outs of health care throughout the hospitals of Malawi.
This week Ariel and I faced our most difficult task so far–preparing the luggage. We will be taking 5 extra suitcases (each) in addition to our personal suitcases, each packed with medical supplies that need to be transported. After counting thousands of catheters and feeding tubes and other important items, I can honestly say that my notion of how much stuff can be squished in a suitcase has been shattered. The supplies are all ready to go, and we learned a thing or two about packing along the way!
The Great Suitcase Dilemma
What can I say, we are light packers…
Next on our long list of preparation to-do’s includes building two bubble CPAP heating sleeves to take with us. Ariel and I both worked on creating this device this semester, and the idea is the expand the use of the bCPAP machine to areas with colder climates. Since the current bCPAP machine, designed by Rice students and currently being implemented in Malawi, pumps ambient air into the machine, the device is limited to areas where the room temperature is warm enough for neonatal infants to breathe without contracting hypothermia. It is essentially an external sleeve that wraps around the tubing and warms the air to approximately body temperature before it is delivered to the baby at the nasal prongs. I am so excited that we will get to present our design to health care providers in Malawi and get feedback about how to further improve it. It is truly amazing to know that our work in the classroom has the potential to make a huge impact on others and will be traveling all the way to Africa this summer!