laboratorios-7-Kenya

Laboratory in Kenya

Three laboratories in Baringo Country, North-West Kenya will be refurbished in collaboration with Kaperur, a local organization, and the Ministry of Health in a region with a primarily nomadic Pokot population, where the healthcare system receives scarce resources.  

The appraisal of the situation took place in February 2023 and noted that the laboratory equipment in the operating area was running at 28% capacity; as such, most of the diagnoses were based on symptomatology, and no laboratory tests were performed on the patients. Refurbishment works started on the first laboratory in the Chemolingot Sub-County Hospital; afterward, work will begin on the rural health centers in Kolowa and Churo.  

The project is also set to involve transversal community-oriented actions in mobile clinics that will provide diagnosis, treatment, and outreach for the Pokot people. A fistula surgery course will be run for medical professionals, and the plan is to perform 20 operations in the region. 
laboratorios-10-Paraguay

Laboratory in Paraguay

Chagas disease is one of the main public health issues in the region. However, the people affected by the infection or who have developed the disease are barely detected and only treated under exceptional circumstances.  

The project refurbished two laboratories in collaboration with the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) in the second-level health center Teniente Irala Fernández and in the family health unit in Campo Aceval at the Presidente Hayes District in El Chaco, Paraguay.  

This project has improved access and capacity for diagnosis, which has led to better treatment of T. cruzi infections and other prevalent diseases among children, such as diarrhea and malnutrition.  

At the same time, health education actions were run in the communities to bolster their knowledge of diseases among the population, prevent contagion, and reduce prevalence rates.  

The laboratories opened in November 2023 and are currently in operation. 
laboratorios-Costa Ivory

Laboratory in Ivory Coast

Two laboratories were refurbished in collaboration with Anesvad, in the Chiépo city health center and the Iroporia rural health center in the Divo Region, Côte d’Ivoire.  

The refurbishment also involved upgrading equipment and installing a laminar flow cabinet in Chiépo to keep the technicians safe as they work with tuberculosis in the laboratory.  

The project also ran mass outreach and community education schemes on the importance of using the health centers, especially since traditional medicine is particularly prominent in the region, which can lead to a rise in people with severe conditions who only turn to health centers at the last minute.